Complex sentence: Thanks to the silk trade, the city became an important industrial town during the 19th century, but in 1831 and 1834, the silk workers of Lyon, known as "canuts", staged two major uprisings.
Split into simpler sentences: Thanks to the silk trade, the city became an important industrial town during the 19th century. In 1831 and 1834, the "canuts" (silk workers) of Lyon staged two major uprisings.