The question of national identity has gained popularity in recent times. This question has led to the formation of three camps: those who claim that national identity is primordial, those who argue that it is an artificial creation and finally those who argue that it is a myth. In order to answer this question, terms need to be defined. A “national identity” could be defined as the feeling of a nation as a coherent whole with a shared set of values, political institutions, culture and religion. There is no need to assign specific traits, as they will inevitably change over time, but what needs to be identified is whether they have been shared. Great Britain also needs to be defined and this will include the countries of Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayThe empire is not included in this, as Britain can be defined as those countries incorporated into an Act of Union or which have representation at Westminster and therefore the empire cannot be included in this. It does indeed appear that although in some areas there is a degree of shared identity this should not be exaggerated and overall Britain was not united in a shared national identity from 1830 to 1951 Culture is perhaps the best way to illustrate whether or not there is a national identity, and within all countries it seems that there were great divisions. In Scotland there appear to be three main divisions: the Highlands, West Lowlands and East Lowlands. In the East there was a more rural way of life, with Edinburgh being the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment and early in this period this led to dominance. In contrast, the Western Plains were industrialized, as evidenced by the fact that out of 7.4 million tonnes of coal were produced in Scotland, 76% of which was produced on the Western Plains. These two very different environments produced two cultures contradictory to the old one. tending towards conservatism and the latter more radical ideas, with the rising city of Glasgow eventually outgrowing Edinburgh. The Highlands also had their own culture with a tendency towards non-anglicised traditions such as kilts, but it is worth noting that their population fell to 8% of Scotland's and their traditions were incorporated into both regions of the Lowlands. In southern Wales, a more British culture was respected, while in the northern part Welsh was commonly spoken, leading to a sharp division between the two regions, with one of them clinging to a more Gaelic perspective. In Ireland, the cultural divide was more religious, with the North being Protestant and anglicized while the South was strongly Catholic. In England there was also a clear distinction between South and North. In the north, cities like Manchester and Liverpool were heavily industrialized, which juxtaposed in the south, where rural estates dominated. This created two distinct cultures: one in which nonconformists like Samuel Smiles thrived while in the South, Disraeli's appeal of rural life found a wider audience. Looking at Britain as a whole, there appears to be a spread of "Britishness" throughout the period. with parts of all nations sharing similar values, but, in all cases, there were significant divisions with areas leaning more towards their national heritage, whichsuggests that there was a lack of shared national culture. In terms of religion, Ireland must invariably focus on its differences. Two key groups can be identified: the Protestant ancestry (Presbyterians and Episcopalians) in Ulster and the Catholics in the South (the majority of the population). These divisions became prevalent during the Great Famine, as through Protestant affiliations the North was able to industrialize with 75% of workers living in the Northeast and create a more diverse diet, which allowed it to avoid the worst disaster.potato famine, while the South suffered huge losses as it remained rural and considered an outlier and was therefore forced to rely on potatoes for the majority of its diet. These religious differences impacted cultural differences, with the North becoming more anglicized while the South clung to more traditional ways of life. Furthermore, the mere existence of such a large group of Catholics in Britain suggests that there cannot have been a unified national identity in terms of religion. Not only did the existence of such a large group of Catholics pose a problem to the idea of ​​a national religious identity, but there were also divisions among Protestants. In Wales and the north of England, the Nonconformists were the dominant force and in Scotland the disruption led to 470 ministers leaving the Established Church, further separating the Eastern and Eastern Lowlands. West. The established churches in Wales and Ireland were also dissolved and, although the Church of England remained, the number of dissenters in England was so great that uniformity was a thing of the past. The number of not only Catholics, but also non-conformists and different Protestant denominations means that it is impossible to suggest that there was a shared national identity in terms of religion. Politics must also be taken into account when talking about national identity. Within this category there is some degree of shared national identity, but it is also an area characterized by enormous differences. The main area of ​​shared identity is found in the constitution, the result of the Whig interpretation of history. This taught that British history was a history of progress and that it was essentially a history which generated increasing amounts of liberty which were embodied in the English Constitution. This interpretation was widely taught throughout the country, leading to a fervent devotion to the Constitution. This was evident not only in England but also in Scotland and Wales as their heroes could be brought to Whig history with men like William Wallace described as conforming to the ideas of the constitution and thus they and their countries could share the same values. and support the same ideals. However, this was not something that could be done with Ireland, as the Catholic majority was generally opposed to the notion of a United Kingdom and even Protestants like Parnell became prominent in the home rule movement. England sees the Irish as “weird”. The aforementioned issue of Home Rule is perhaps the central political issue that shows the polarization in Britain during this period. This was an issue that the liberal Gladstone fought against and was ultimately the reason for his downfall. Irishmen like Parnell and O'Connell also fought for Home Rule, attempting to split the union. This attack on the union provoked a backlash which divided the Liberal Party, with Unionists wanting to join the Conservatives and, in Ireland, led to the creation of the Union.