being discriminated against, which led to their stronger feelings of being defined by their nation. This was the first development of nationalism, which defined all of Southeast Europe.2 The essay, by Ernest Renan suggests that nationalism consists of two ideas. “One is the possession in common of a rich legacy of remembrances, and the other is the actual consent, the desire to live together, they will to continue to value the heritage which all hold common (Renan, 17). He thinks that the worship of ancestors is important because they have made the country what it is. He feels that the rules made for the country have been sacrifices made and should be honored. He also says that a country needs to look at their downfalls rather than their gains to strengthen the peoples “togetherness” and the will to succeed. The people have rights as individuals. He states that nations have a beginning and an end, and the people need to realize and not take it for granted. He feels that people should appreciate the guarantee for liberty and freedom. They should realize that this is a gift that could be lost, especially if a king or a dictator was in rule.3 His last thoughts of what makes a nation are that spirit, heart, and moral consciousness have a big part; more so than rules, so the people can exist in harmony. This differs from what happened in Southeast Europe because they didn’t appreciate the ancestors who dictated them. The people did gain nationalism, which gave them a reason to have individualism and a warm spirit for their community. They gained this when they got their way and broke up into communities, which gave them rights.4 In the United States, nationalism was formed in the same manner that Europe was. When the puritans and the other immigrants came over, they didn’t care about forming one nation, or being involved in rights. They were still apart of England, and did things based on religion...
