Question

Who was Captain Swing? What did the name symbolise or represent?

Answer 1

Hint: During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century,the English countryside underwent some substantial changes. The open-field system of England, where everyone was allotted a piece of land to cultivate along with access to common pastures, was changed. Partly due to the Enclosure movement and partly due to the Agricultural revolution, these changes heralded other social changes and tensions in rural England.

Complete answer:
The Enclosure movement in England was about turning common land into private by rich farmers for foodgrain production. This happened due to the following reasons:
-Population of England increased and so did the demand for food grains.
-It was the time for industrialization and hence urban markets for food grains developed.
-Napoleonic wars with France disrupted the import of food grains.

As the price of food grains skyrocketed, landowners enclosed more land and pressurized the Parliament to legalize their move. The Parliament passed the Enclosure Acts and the enclosure movement got state support.

However, the enclosure movement led to increased misery of the poor.
-The poor were displaced and lost their rights over the common lands
-As the farmers enclosed more land, they started introducing new technology like threshing machines. This was the Agricultural revolution. This led to further unemployment and impoverishment of the poor.

It was due to these issues that Captain Swing riots took place.
In 1830 the threshing machines of rich landowners were destroyed. The rich farmers received threatening letters which asked them to stop using machines that put the poor out of job and these letters were signed by Captain Swing. Captain Swing was thus a fictitious name that was written on letters the rich farmers received. The Swing riots were basically against the oppression that the poor had to face in England as a result of the Enclosure movement, low wages, loss of employment and difficult working conditions.

Note: It is important to Note: that the Enclosure movement ultimately helped in the Industrial Revolution of England. As the lands got enclosed, small farmers moved to the cities to work in factories.