Why can't I clear my browsing history in safari

I am trying to clear my browsing history on my iPhone 4 but the bit ton is gray and won't allow me to select it in either the settings menu or in the actual browser. I also tries putting my safari app into private mode but for some reason cannot find the button... It should be in safari at the bottom when I choose to look at multiple tabs (or at least that's where I have always found it) but I don't see it anywhere. I am not sure if this is a problem with the new iOS update I just got or if I somehow changed my settings somewhere to not allow these functions but it is really annoying not being able to clear my history... Please help me figure out how to fix this