The question of national identity has gained increasing attention in recent times. This issue has led to the formation of three camps: those who argue that national identity is primordial, those who argue that it is an artificial creation and finally those who argue that it is a myth. To answer this question it is necessary to define the terms. A “national identity” could be defined as the sense of a nation as a cohesive whole with a shared set of values, political institutions, culture and religion. It is not necessary to attribute specific traits as these will inevitably change as time passes, but what needs to be identified is whether they were shared. Great Britain is also to be defined and this will include the countries Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayThe empire is not included in this as Great Britain can be defined as countries brought together by an Act of Union or having representation at the national level. Westminster and therefore the empire cannot be included in this. It seems that, although in some areas there appears to be 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 was a national identity and within all countries there seemed to be major divisions. In Scotland there appeared to be three main divisions: the Highlands, the Western Lowlands and the Eastern Lowlands. In the East there was a more rural way of life with Edinburgh being the home of the Scottish Enlightenment and early in the period this led to a dominant position. In contrast, the Western Lowlands were industrialised, as evidenced by the fact that 7.4 million tonnes of coal was produced in Scotland, of which 76% was in the Western Lowlands. These two very different environments produced two cultures in conflict with the first. tending towards conservatism and the latter towards more radical ideas with the rising city of Glasgow eventually overtaking Edinburgh. The Highlands also had their own culture with a tendency towards non-Anglicised traditions such as kilts, but it should be noted that their population dropped to 8% of Scotland and its traditions were incorporated by the two Lowland areas. In South Wales a more British culture was adhered to whilst in the north the native Welsh was commonly spoken and so this led to a clear division between the two areas as one clung to a more Gaelic perspective. In Ireland the cultural divide was along more religious lines with the North Protestant and anglicised while the South strongly Catholic. Even in England there was a clear distinction between South and North. In the north cities such as Manchester and Liverpool were highly industrialised, in contrast to the south where rural estates prevailed. This created two separate cultures, one in which mavericks such as Samuel Smiles thrive while in the South Disraeli's appeal to rural life found a greater audience. Looking at Britain as a whole there appears to have been 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 looking more to their national heritage and this suggests a shared national culture was lacking. In terms of religion, Ireland invariably has to focus when looking at the differences. Two key groups can be identified: the Protestant ancestry (Presbyterians and Episcopalians) in Ulsterand the Catholics of the south (the majority of the population). These divisions became prevalent during the Great Famine as, thanks to Protestant affiliations, the North was able to industrialize with 75% of workers living in the Northeast and create a more diverse diet and this allowed it to avoid the worst of the situation.potato famine, while the South suffered huge amounts of deaths as it remained rural and was considered an exception, so was forced to rely on potatoes for the majority of their diet. These religious differences impacted cultural differences with the North becoming more anglicised while the South clung to more traditional lifestyles. Furthermore, the mere existence of such a large group of Catholics in Britain suggests that there may not have been a unified national identity in terms of religion. Not only does the existence of such a large group of Catholics pose a problem for the idea of ​​a national religious identity, but there was also division among Protestants. In Wales and northern England the Nonconformists were the dominant force and in Scotland the breakdown led to 470 ministers leaving the Established Church further dividing the eastern and western Lowlands. 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 Nonconformists 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, and in this category there is a certain degree of shared national identity, but this is also an area of ​​huge differences. The main area of ​​shared identity is found in the constitution as a result of the Whig interpretation of history. This taught that British history was a history of progress and that it essentially generated increasing amounts of liberties which were embodied in the English Constitution. This interpretation was widely taught throughout the country and this led to a fervent dedication to the Constitution. Not only was this evident in England, but also in Scotland and Wales, as their heroes could be brought into Whig history with men like William Wallace depicted as being in line with the ideas of the constitution and therefore they and their countries could share the same values. and uphold the same ideals. However, this was not something that could be done with Ireland as the Catholic majority was generally against the idea of ​​the United Kingdom and Protestants such as Parnell also became prevalent in the Home Rule movement. This wasn't even one-sided with many people in Ireland. England considers the Irish "oddballs". The aforementioned issue of Home Rule is perhaps the central political issue showing polarization in Britain during the period. This was an issue fought by the liberal Gladstone 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 reaction which divided the Liberal party with unionists joining the conservatives and in Ireland led to the creation of the loyalist anti-repeal Ulster Union in 1886. The Union is such a central political ideal that the fundamental disagreement over this means that it is difficult to affirm that even on the political level there is a unitary National Identity. One key area that has not yet been discussed is the two world wars of the period. From 1914 to 1918 and from 1939 to 1945 it is fair to argue that the nation was in fact united.