Nationalism In The 19th Century

In the early part of the 1800’s, a new concept came to the surface of mostly every European nation: nationalism. With every foreign idea, a negative connotation arises due to the fear of change. However, throughout this period of history, nationalism opens the door to equality and individual rights and allows countries to move forward progressively. By the end of the century, a positive connotation engulfs the negative one, and the world is well on its way to being westernized, modernized, and industrialized. Nationalism is an idea based around unification. The people of the world no longer wanted to be labeled as a servant or peasant. Instead, they yearned to be proud of where they came from. They wanted to have a unique language, currency, and religion: an identity. After the conclusion of the American and French revolutions, a spark broke
So long had citizens’ worth been based on their status. But, with nationalism and hope in the air, the opportunity that they may finally be held to the same standard as their neighbor seeded itself in their minds and drove them to reform. Culture plays an important role in defining who someone is. Each country wanted to be unique and separate from one another with their ways of life, morals, and beliefs. With nationalism on the rise, it was the perfect moment to make this dream a reality. To be a nationalist means to be free and independent. It means you can be unique and have social, political, and economical opportunities. It’s not difficult to see how an idea such as this would appeal to those who, before, had little to nothing to their name, but it’s also understandable why this concept struck fear into the people at the top of the social class. Ultimately, the population of people who supported the idea outnumbered the population who denounced