What was Nationalism in the 1800s?

Nationalism in Europe rose during the 1800s as a result of political turmoil. The French and American revolutions played a major role in giving the existing European populations the courage to unite in order to overthrow the existing governing structures and develop new governmental structures based on liberty and national identity. The core essence of Nationalism is that of national identity. People of a similar culture or race or religion group together to form a cohesive unit based on their similarities.