10
acts of the Reformation Parliament establishing the “official” history of England. The
author Liah Greenfeld supports this position by contending that England was the first
modern nation ever created.
23
During the first half of the sixteenth century, the economy
of the English state was based almost exclusively on agriculture, as all economic systems
were at that time. Therefore, the English example appears to contradict Gellner’s theory
that national identity is only successful after the industrial revolution. However, while
this is true, Gellner’s position regains support if it is determined that the construction of
national identity was different in the sixteenth century from that in the late eighteenth or
especially the early twenty-first century. This debate arises when the argument is made
that the idea of national identity prior to the industrial revolution was state-sponsored (or
imposed upon the populace by the government in a top-down manner), as in the case of
sixteenth century England, and all movements following the shift away from an economy
based almost exclusively on agriculture originate from within the state (the bottom-up
approach to the development of national identity). In other words, the creation of a
national identity following the industrial revolution starts within the general population
and seeks to wrestle power away from those currently controlling the state. Certainly the
case of national identity in Scotland, where the Scottish National Party is attempting to
take control of its politically-defined territory away from the state of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by utilizing nationalism
24
seems to support
Gellner’s claims. In all, examples of the creation of national identities by groups separate
from the state, since the industrial revolution, exist in abundance. Therefore, if the
modernists want effectively to support their assertion that nations and their corresponding
23
Greenfeld, 6.
24
Fred Bridgland, “SNP Vows to Work for Complete Split from England,” The Independent, 19 May 2001.
Convention