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[[File:Arth tapestry2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[King Arthur]] the king of the ancient [[Britons]], depicted as one of the [[Nine Worthies]] in tapestry, c. 1385. The legend of King Arthur as a warrior ruler and British hero as depicted by [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] in ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' laid the foundation of British nationalism.]] |
[[File:Arth tapestry2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[King Arthur]] the king of the ancient [[Britons]], depicted as one of the [[Nine Worthies]] in tapestry, c. 1385. The legend of King Arthur as a warrior ruler and British hero as depicted by [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] in ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' laid the foundation of British nationalism.]] |
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[[File:Britain and Ireland satellite image bright.png|thumb|right|Satellite photograph of the British Isles. Originally British nationalism was typically applicable to the entire British Isles, however since the secession of the [[Republic of Ireland]] from the United Kingdom, British nationalism typically focuses on the unity of [[Great Britain]] and [[Northern Ireland]].]] |
[[File:Britain and Ireland satellite image bright.png|thumb|right|Satellite photograph of the British Isles. Originally British nationalism was typically applicable to the entire British Isles, however since the secession of the [[Republic of Ireland]] from the United Kingdom, British nationalism typically focuses on the unity of [[Great Britain]] and [[Northern Ireland]].]] |
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'''British nationalism''' is the [[nationalism]] that asserts that the [[British people|British]] are a [[nation]] and promotes the cultural unity of the British.{{sfn|Motyl|2001|pp=62-63}}<ref>Guntram H. Herb, David H. Kaplan. Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview: A Global Historical Overview. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2008.</ref> |
'''British nationalism''' is the [[nationalism]] that asserts that the [[British people|British]] are a [[nation]]{{sfn|Motyl|2001|pp=62-63}} and promotes the cultural unity of the British.{{sfn|Motyl|2001|pp=62-63}}<ref>Guntram H. Herb, David H. Kaplan. Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview: A Global Historical Overview. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2008.</ref> Its definition of the nation includes people of [[English people|English]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]], [[Welsh people|Welsh]] and [[Irish people|Irish]] descent, or a descendent from a British dependency or former British colony.{{sfn|Motyl|2001|pp=64}} It promotes [[Britishness]] as a national identity for these peoples. British nationalism is closely associated with [[British unionism]], which seeks to uphold the political union that is the [[United Kingdom]], or strengthen the links between the countries of the [[British Isles]].<ref name="Mil133">{{harvnb|Miller|2005|p=133}}.</ref> |
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British nationalism's identity of British descends from the [[Britons (Celtic people)|ancient Britons]] who dwelt on the island of [[Great Britain]].<ref>Guntram H. Herb, David H. Kaplan. Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview: A Global Historical Overview. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2008.</ref> British nationalism grew to include people outside of Great Britain, on the island of [[Ireland]], because of the [[Crown of Ireland Act 1542|1542 Crown of Ireland Act]], which declared that the crown of Ireland was to be held by the ruling monarch of [[England]]. Also there were [[Anglo-Irish]] calls for unity with Britain.<ref>Brendan Bradshaw, Peter Roberts. British Consciousness and Identity: The Making of Britain, 1533-1707. P. 302.</ref> However with the [[Protestant Reformation]] a schism arose in the British Isles between [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] and [[Protestantism|Protestants]] that was especially strong in Ireland, that led to much unrest and demands for Irish independence from Britain, the largely Catholic [[Southern Ireland]] was granted independence by the British government, while the largely Protestant [[Northern Ireland]] remained within the United Kingdom. |
British nationalism's identity of British descends from the [[Britons (Celtic people)|ancient Britons]] who dwelt on the island of [[Great Britain]].<ref>Guntram H. Herb, David H. Kaplan. Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview: A Global Historical Overview. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2008.</ref> British nationalism grew to include people outside of Great Britain, on the island of [[Ireland]], because of the [[Crown of Ireland Act 1542|1542 Crown of Ireland Act]], which declared that the crown of Ireland was to be held by the ruling monarch of [[England]]. Also there were [[Anglo-Irish]] calls for unity with Britain.<ref>Brendan Bradshaw, Peter Roberts. British Consciousness and Identity: The Making of Britain, 1533-1707. P. 302.</ref> However with the [[Protestant Reformation]] a schism arose in the British Isles between [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] and [[Protestantism|Protestants]] that was especially strong in Ireland, that led to much unrest and demands for Irish independence from Britain, the largely Catholic [[Southern Ireland]] was granted independence by the British government, while the largely Protestant [[Northern Ireland]] remained within the United Kingdom. |
Revision as of 10:29, 12 February 2013
British nationalism is the nationalism that asserts that the British are a nation[1] and promotes the cultural unity of the British.[1][2] Its definition of the nation includes people of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish descent, or a descendent from a British dependency or former British colony.[3] It promotes Britishness as a national identity for these peoples. British nationalism is closely associated with British unionism, which seeks to uphold the political union that is the United Kingdom, or strengthen the links between the countries of the British Isles.[4]
British nationalism's identity of British descends from the ancient Britons who dwelt on the island of Great Britain.[5] British nationalism grew to include people outside of Great Britain, on the island of Ireland, because of the 1542 Crown of Ireland Act, which declared that the crown of Ireland was to be held by the ruling monarch of England. Also there were Anglo-Irish calls for unity with Britain.[6] However with the Protestant Reformation a schism arose in the British Isles between Catholics and Protestants that was especially strong in Ireland, that led to much unrest and demands for Irish independence from Britain, the largely Catholic Southern Ireland was granted independence by the British government, while the largely Protestant Northern Ireland remained within the United Kingdom.
It is characterised as a "powerful but ambivalent force in British politics".[7] In its moderate form, British nationalism has been a civic nationalism, emphasizing both cohesion and diversity of the people of the British Isles, its dependencies, and its former colonies.[3] Recently however, nativist nationalism and extremist nationalism has arisen based on fear of Britain being swamped by immigrants; this anti-immigrant nativist nationalism has been present in the British National Party and other extreme nativist nationalist and neo-Nazi movements.[3] Politicians, such as British Prime Minister David Cameron of the Conservative Party and his direct predecessor Gordon Brown of the Labour Party, have sought to promote British nationalism as a progressive cause.[8][9]
Nationalism and unionism
Nowadays, as in the past, unionist movements exist in Scotland and Ireland. These movements seek specifically to retain the ties between those areas and the rest of the UK, in opposition to civic nationalist movements. Such unionist movements include the Ulster Unionist Party, Democratic Unionist Party and the Scottish Unionist Party. In Scotland and Wales the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties support the Union, and although some supporters of those parties would consider their nationality to be Scottish or Welsh rather than British, most consider themselves to be both Scottish/Welsh and British.
See also
- Pan-nationalism
- British unionism
- Cornish nationalism
- English nationalism
- Irish nationalism
- Scottish nationalism
- Welsh nationalism
- Ulster nationalism
References
Notes
- ^ a b Motyl 2001, pp. 62–63.
- ^ Guntram H. Herb, David H. Kaplan. Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview: A Global Historical Overview. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2008.
- ^ a b c Motyl 2001, pp. 64.
- ^ Miller 2005, p. 133.
- ^ Guntram H. Herb, David H. Kaplan. Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview: A Global Historical Overview. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2008.
- ^ Brendan Bradshaw, Peter Roberts. British Consciousness and Identity: The Making of Britain, 1533-1707. P. 302.
- ^ Smith, Smith & White 1988, p. 61.
- ^ "Gordon Brown calls for national day to celebrate 'Britishness' - Wikinews, the free news source". En.wikinews.org. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ Conservative Party leader David Cameron advocates liberal or civic British nationalism: "Being British is one of the most successful examples of inclusive civic nationalism in the world." http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2006/09/Cameron_I_will_never_take_Scotland_for_granted.aspx www.conservatives.com Official party site (26 September 2006)
Bibliography
- Miller, William Lockley (2005), "Anglo-Scottish Relations from 1900 to Devolution and Beyond", Proceedings of the British Academy, 128, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-726331-0
- Motyl, Alexander J. (2001). Encyclopedia of Nationalism, Volume II. Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-227230-7.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Smith, Michael; Smith, Steve; White, Brian (1988), British foreign policy: tradition, change, and transformation, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-04-327081-3