Spinning jenny
Topic: The Age of Industrialisation · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "The Age of Industrialisation"
Meaning
The Spinning Jenny was a spinning machine devised by James Hargreaves in 1764. One worker turned a single wheel, and this moved many spindles at once, so several threads were spun together. It made spinning much faster and reduced the number of workers needed. Women who lived by hand-spinning feared losing their work and attacked the machine.
Example
In England's woollen industry, women attacked the Jenny, and the conflict went on for years. A magistrate's report of 1790 describes colliers' wives "cutting to pieces" the machines.
Don't confuse with
- Water frame: Richard Arkwright's water-powered spinning machine (patented 1769) needed a mill. The Jenny was hand-turned and could be used at home.
- Luddites: they were a later wave of machine-breaking (1811–1816). The early attacks on the Jenny were a separate, earlier protest.