Birthplace determines citizenship by operation of law.
Parents’ citizenship determines citizenship by operation of nature.
A natural born citizen attained his American citizenship by descent from his parents (or, possibly, just his father).
That’s the argument.
This would ensure that the presidency was limited to those who were at least second-generation Americans.
Is there a federal statute that determines how citizenship is determined? Or are these just opinions?
I'm certain the founders didn't invent the term "natural born" on the fly.
Has anyone done an analysis of surviving period literature; Colonial, American, British and French to determine what "natural born" was understood to mean at the time?
“Birthplace determines citizenship by operation of law.
Parents’ citizenship determines citizenship by operation of nature.
That’s the argument.”
You mean that we are not a nation of laws, as I had thought, but a nation under the benevolent dictatorship of Mother Nature?
Do you realize how nutty that sounds? Try arguing that the Founders understood citizenship to be by the right of blood. Drop the “nature” stuff.