The Birth and Growth of Scottish Nationalism: A Look Through "Imagined Communities"

Abstract

Nationalism presents itself as this rather ambiguous concept, lacking any clear definition because of its ability to be seen through the eye of the beholder and interpreted differently. So, constructing a form of understanding nationalism, particularly through the works of historian Benedict Anderson, I have applied the model to identify the growth of Scottish Nationalism. Within the 18th century the two parliaments of Scotland and England were united in the year 1707, dissolving the Scottish government. Instead of stifling the development of Scotland's national identity completely it and the events surrounding it create circumstances for it to grow increasingly. This is seen through both the oppression that the Scots faced and through the educational expansion that caught fire and spread.