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Did British national identity change significantly during the period 1780-1832?

It is argued that during the modern period a sense of national identity began to be created in Britain.
The idea of a nation is a debated concept but is generally agreed to be a society where people share
common bonds between themselves. This essay will explore how much this national identity
changed from 1780 to 1832 with the effects of the French revolution, the expansion of printed
materials, religious reform and parliamentary reform or if in fact it did not change significantly.

In 1780 there was somewhat a sense of national identity. Wales and England had been joined
together for centuries since the Statute of Wales (1284) and Scotland and England were unified but
had separate parliaments (Forbes, 2017, p. 245). After the Declaratory Act of 1720 the British
parliament also legislated for Ireland, although this was causing unrest in 1780 with MP Gratten
calling for its repeal (Forbes, 2017, p.248). This shows what was thought of as Britain, England and
Wales were, but Scotland had some autonomies and Ireland did not want to be considered part of
Britain. Britain at the time was also strongly protestant. When the Relief Acts were passed in 1778
which removed legislation stopping Catholics from joining the army it was met with resistance. In
1780 Lord Gordon led a crowd of 40000 to 60000 people to parliament to hand a petition, leading to
riots which lasted for a week (Forbes, 2017, pp.263-264). This shows that people were very anti-
Catholic in 1780 and believed laws against them should be upheld. The wars against France and then
America played a part in creating a sense of national identity. The idea of the British army as a great
power and propaganda being circulated led to a common sense of what it was to be British (Forbes,
2017, pp.266-267).

It can be argued that British national identity did change significantly during the period. One reason
for this was the French revolution The French revolution began in 1789 and lasted until 1799 and it is
argued that this was the beginning of an ‘Age of Nationalism’. The revolution emphasised that
sovereignty lies with the people, not the elites and encouraged radicalism throughout Britain
(Forbes, 2017, p.255). This would suggest that the French revolution began to make people feel a
sense of national pride for their country and also suggests that it fostered democratic ideology in
Britain. In another sense the French revolution created a sense of national identity as it seemed to
go against British values. Before the wars it was seen as too Catholic and after the revolution it
seemed to move too far towards democracy (Forbes, 2017, p.267). This shows that the French
revolution could have helped to make people recognise what type of political system they wanted in
Britain.

Another way it can be seen that British national identity changed significantly is through the
expansion of the press. This allowed the state to promote images that created a shared sense of
identity. The use of mechanised printing machines and more widespread literacy allowed more
people access to the printed works. More prints were produced for a diverse range of people in
many different languages and dialect. The production of printed materials rose dramatically during
the late 1700s and early 1800s (Forbes, 2017, pp.255-259). This contributed to a shared sense of
national identity as symbols and imagery were being spread further across the country. Another way
in which the expansion of printed materials led to a change in national identity is that English printed
material was cheaper and easier to access than Irish or Scots Gaelic. This meant that it also played a
role in the decline of regional languages and meant more people were speaking English, leading to a
sense that being British meant speaking English (Forbes, 2017, pp.260-261).

British national identity also changed significantly in terms or religion. In the 1700s although
Catholics lived in Britain, they were not considered British. Relief Acts were passed from 1778 to
1782 but the main change occurred in 1793 when Irish Catholics were allowed freedom of worship

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and admission to most civil offices. In 1791 a Relief Act also allowed Catholics to practice law and
freedom to practice religion without punishment (Forbes, 2017, pp.267-268). This shows a change
from a very strict protestant Britain in 1780 to a more relaxed one that allowed Catholics to practice
their religion without the persecution they had faced for centuries.

One final way British national identity changed significantly in the period was in terms of
parliamentary reform. In the 1820s a movement was rose that called for a reform of the
representative system in Britain. At this time, only a few people could vote. There were many
obstacles to voting, including gender and value of property owned. Also, elections were manipulated
and the number of seats in an area was not proportionate to its size. This led to the Reform Act of
1832 which increased the electorate from around 366000 to around 650000 and the constituencies
were reorganised (Forbes, 2017, pp.271-275). This can be as a change in British national identity as it
helped to recognise and defend the rights of people to freedoms which were guaranteed by the
Magna Carta and the English constitution and shows how people would now expect these rights as
part of British culture.

It can also be argued that British national identity did not change significantly in the period 1780-
1832. One example of this is that many people were still very opposed to Catholics and thought
Britain should remain purely Protestant. Following the Relief Acts in the early 1800s there was
widespread public opposition across the country. Clubs such as the Brunswick Club were established,
and many petitions were submitted to parliament calling for the repel of these acts. This could show
that many people in Britain were not open to allowing the practice of Catholicism in Britain and
wanted it to remain purely protestant as it was in 1780, although this could reflect people being
upset about the influx of immigrant’s form Ireland (Forbes, 2017, p.268).

Another way in which it can be seen British national identity did not change significantly is through
the Reform Acts in 1832. One example of this is at first the bill was passed through the House of
Commons easily but was blocked by the Lords, although passed after rioting. This shows that not
everyone shared these new ideas of protecting individual rights and freedoms. Furthermore, the
Reform Act only really benefitted the middle class, women and the vast majority of working-class
men from towns were still not able to vote as they did not meet the property requirements. This
shows that this new sense of freedom and rights were not extended to many people and many
people would still not see Britain as a place of freedom and democracy (Forbes, 2017, pp. 274-275).

To conclude, British national identity did change significantly during the period 1780- 1832. Many
changes in British society occurred during these years and shaped how people thought of Britain.
The French revolution spread more radical ideas throughout Britain of sovereignty lying with the
people, but it also created a sense of national identity as it seemed to represent everything British
people did not and helped people recognise what Britain stood for. Furthermore, the increase in
production in printed materials allowed ideas to spread further creating a shared sense of identity
and encouraged the use of the English language, creating the idea that British people spoke English.
Reforms in religion and parliament also led to a significant change in British national identity. Britain
moved away from being purely Protestant and passed Relief Acts that allowed Catholics to practice
their religion freely. Parliamentary reform expanded the franchise and reorganised the number of
seats in areas, protecting the rights and freedoms of people in Britain. Although there was initially
opposition to the Reform Act in 1832 it was passed and although it can be argued it had a limited
impact it showed the beginning of a more democratic country that protected the rights of its
peoples. Also, although there was resistance to the Catholic Relief Acts, they were not repealed, and

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Catholics were allowed more freedom and Britain was no longer fully Protestant. This shows that
British national identity did change significantly in this period.

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References:

Forbes, S. (2017) ‘Unit 6 Imagined nations made real?’ in Lawrence, P. (ed.) Ambition and Anxiety,
1789–1840, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.239-290.