Today that may be so; but prior to 1914 it was possible to move around anywhere in Europe (including the UK -- excluding the Russian Empire) without a passport or identity documents, and pretty much legal to settle anywhere. While the cost and difficulty of moving back then was greater than it is today, states had very porous borders and it was practical to vote with your feet (as in fact my grandparents did).
The first world war put an end to the old order and made nationality non-discretionary -- and we're still dealing with the fallout today (as witness the permanent floating founder visas thread on HN).
I remember that from the start of Niall Ferguson's The War of the World - in 1913 the world looked quite a bit like it does today (at least from a "globalization" perspective).
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Today that may be so; but prior to 1914 it was possible to move around anywhere in Europe (including the UK -- excluding the Russian Empire) without a passport or identity documents, and pretty much legal to settle anywhere. While the cost and difficulty of moving back then was greater than it is today, states had very porous borders and it was practical to vote with your feet (as in fact my grandparents did).
The first world war put an end to the old order and made nationality non-discretionary -- and we're still dealing with the fallout today (as witness the permanent floating founder visas thread on HN).
I remember that from the start of Niall Ferguson's The War of the World - in 1913 the world looked quite a bit like it does today (at least from a "globalization" perspective).