The only reason I did not give this book a 5 star rating is because of the age of the book (1986). But the research that went into this book is astounding. James and Lila Lee Neagles canvassed all of the courthouses in the US, searching for old (before 1907) and new (after 1907) naturalization records.
This has the potential to save hundreds of hours for the readers of this book. However, as the Neagles team warns, records have a habit of being moved without warning; every year from the books publishing date lessens the value of that portion of the information.
The authors include an explanation of the process of naturalization and how it changed over the years. I particularly enjoyed the first chapter that summarized the arrival of various groups to America (the Dutch, Swedes, etc.). Because of this great summation, I went to check other sources and found that the mass exodus to America caused real troubles in some countries. In Denmark, the people drain was so severe that the government made important economic changes to encourage their citizens to stay in Europe!
I enjoyed reading this book, in spite of its age because the info offered was unique I dont remember ever read about mother countries having to make economic changes to keep their citizens home!
This has the potential to save hundreds of hours for the readers of this book. However, as the Neagles team warns, records have a habit of being moved without warning; every year from the books publishing date lessens the value of that portion of the information.
The authors include an explanation of the process of naturalization and how it changed over the years. I particularly enjoyed the first chapter that summarized the arrival of various groups to America (the Dutch, Swedes, etc.). Because of this great summation, I went to check other sources and found that the mass exodus to America caused real troubles in some countries. In Denmark, the people drain was so severe that the government made important economic changes to encourage their citizens to stay in Europe!
I enjoyed reading this book, in spite of its age because the info offered was unique I dont remember ever read about mother countries having to make economic changes to keep their citizens home!
