What it meant to be a 'citizen' changed over the course of the 19th Century. Traditionally, citizenship within England and France only ecnompassed property owners within a city. This was to change drastically - initially, though the French revolution. Shared ideology became the basis for citizenship, along with service to the nation. This, for example, saw the intorduction of the soldier citizen; not a citizen for any mode of property ownership, but because of service to the Shared ideology of France. Citizenshp elsewhere in the west, however, differed. The German idea of 'Blood and Soil' as the prerequisite for citizenship was later reflected in America; citizenship being granted only to those born in the country. The influence of war was to have the same effect as in France - as military service gained links with citizenship. Britain was to extend on the concept of 'Blood and soil' - with many British citizens living external to Britain itself.
During the 19th century, being a citizen shifted from simply being a member of a nation to being a member of a certain race in a nation. In both the French Revolution and American Civil War, being a citizen shifted from being a member of a certain region to being a member of a single nation. To win their respective wars, both the French and Americans realized they needed every single member of their country no matter their age, race, or gender. By doing their part to win the war, everyone gained citizenship. In the Unification of Germany and British Imperialism, the idea of everyone being a citizen started to fade, and conditions on race and religion started to exclude some members of the nation from being citizens. In Germany, this meant Catholics and Socialists were no longer German citizens. In British Imperialism only the British were citizens, and all member of the “inferior” races had to become British to be considered citizens.
What it meant to be a 'citizen' changed over the course of the 19th Century. Traditionally, citizenship within England and France only ecnompassed property owners within a city. This was to change drastically - initially, though the French revolution. Shared ideology became the basis for citizenship, along with service to the nation. This, for example, saw the intorduction of the soldier citizen; not a citizen for any mode of property ownership, but because of service to the Shared ideology of France. Citizenshp elsewhere in the west, however, differed. The German idea of 'Blood and Soil' as the prerequisite for citizenship was later reflected in America; citizenship being granted only to those born in the country. The influence of war was to have the same effect as in France - as military service gained links with citizenship. Britain was to extend on the concept of 'Blood and soil' - with many British citizens living external to Britain itself.
ReplyDeleteDuring the 19th century, being a citizen shifted from simply being a member of a nation to being a member of a certain race in a nation. In both the French Revolution and American Civil War, being a citizen shifted from being a member of a certain region to being a member of a single nation. To win their respective wars, both the French and Americans realized they needed every single member of their country no matter their age, race, or gender. By doing their part to win the war, everyone gained citizenship. In the Unification of Germany and British Imperialism, the idea of everyone being a citizen started to fade, and conditions on race and religion started to exclude some members of the nation from being citizens. In Germany, this meant Catholics and Socialists were no longer German citizens. In British Imperialism only the British were citizens, and all member of the “inferior” races had to become British to be considered citizens.
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