Nationalism Before 1848

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NATIONALISM before 1848 II Between 1830 and 1848, the generation of Romanian intellectuals in Transylvania tried to transform the Romanian cultural community into a full-fledged political nation and, at the same time, to bring the Romanians into the brood currents of European economic and social life. During the two decades before the outbreak of the revolution of 1848 they provided the theoretical underpinnings of the modern Romanian national movement. They formulated the first comprehensive, truly national program. These intellectuals believe in a communion with Western European ideas without betraying native traditions. The avoided wholesale imitation preferring instead to shape borrowings and adopt inspirations to Transylvanian realities. The following are representative of the intellectuals of 1848: Timotei Cipariu, Simion Barnutiu, August Treboniu, Laurian Ioan Rusu, George Baritiu, Iosif Many, Aron Pumnul, Avram Iancu and Alexandru Papiu-Ilarian. Each of them had great contributions to Romanian political and cultural life. For example Baritiu was the founder of the modern Romanian-language newspaper press in Transylvania. The Romanian generation of intellectuals believed that they had a moral obligation to confront day-to-day realities and therefore their writings proved to bear the stamps of practicality. They were preoccupied with the dissemination of general ideas and useful information. The structure of the Romanian society was formed mainly of peasants. In Tran – sylvania, most of them were dependent or day laborers, but few were actually free. Mostly landowning men took part in the political life. A Romanian commercial and industrial middle class hardly existed. The economic life in Transylvania was based on agriculture even though the majority of population had no knowledge of technique of innovation. Though
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