Nationalization of history is a process where a country takes all the important historical events, stories, and objects that have happened or belonged to its people and officially makes them a part of its national identity. It means that the country wants to create a shared history for all its citizens to help them feel connected as a community.
Think of your family's photo album, which has pictures of your parents, grandparents, and cousins. These pictures are unique to your family and are valuable to you because they tell stories about your family's past. In a similar way, a country's history is like a big photo album that tells stories about its people, culture, and traditions.
When a country nationalizes its history, it means that it wants to make sure everyone in the country knows about this history. It might mean that the country makes laws that make it important to learn about certain historical events, like a war or a revolution, or it might mean that the country puts up monuments and museums highlighting important events and figures.
For example, in the United States, the nationalization of history means that students learn about important figures like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and George Washington. They learn about the American Revolution and the civil rights movement. These events and people are important to the American identity and help connect people from different parts of the country with a shared past.
So, nationalization of history is when a country takes an active role in preserving and promoting its history as a way to create a shared identity for its citizens.