swingism

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In English history, the practices of those agitators who, from 1830 to 1833, were in the habit of sending threatening letters signed “Swing” or “Captain Swing” to farmers, landed proprietors, etc., commanding them to give up the use of the threshing-machine, to pay higher wages to their employees, etc., and in case of non-compliance threatening the destruction of the obnoxious person's property; incendiarism in the fancied promotion of the interests of agricultural laborers.