"§ 1473. It is indispensable, too, that the president should be a natural born citizen of the United States; or a citizen at the adoption of the constitution, and for fourteen years before his election. This permission of a naturalized citizen to become president is an exception from the great fundamental policy of all governments, to exclude foreign influence from their executive councils and duties. It was doubtless introduced (for it has now become by lapse of time merely nominal, and will soon become wholly extinct) out of respect to those distinguished revolutionary patriots, who were born in a foreign land, and yet had entitled themselves to high honours in their adopted country. A positive exclusion of them from the office would have been unjust to their merits, and painful to their sensibilities. But the general propriety of the exclusion of foreigners, in common cases, will scarcely be doubted by any sound statesman. It cuts off all chances for ambitious foreigners, who might otherwise be intriguing for the office; and interposes a barrier against those corrupt interferences of foreign governments in executive elections, which have inflicted the most serious evils upon the elective monarchies of Europe. Germany, Poland, and even the pontificate of Rome, are sad, but instructive examples of the enduring mischiefs arising from this source."
http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/a2_1_5s2.html
During the ratifying in New York several amendments to the Constitution were proposed. These included:
"Moved by Mr. G. LIVINGSTON. SATURDAY, July 5, 1788. — Sec. 2. Clause 2. Amendment moved by Mr. M. SMITH: —
"Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, that the Congress should appoint, in such manner as they may think proper, a council to advise the President in the appointment of officers; that the said council should continue in office for four years; that they should keep a record of their proceedings, and sign the same, and always be responsible for their advice, and impeachable for malconduct in office; that the counsellors should have a reasonable allowance for their services, fixed by a standing law; and that no man should be elected a counsellor who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and who is not either a natural-born citizen, or has not become a citizen before the 4th day of July, 1776."
http://www.constitution.org/rc/rat_ny.htm
"That no Persons except natural born Citizens, or such as were Citizens on or before the fourth day of July one thousand seven hundred and seventy six, or such as held Commissions under the United States during the War, and have at any time since the fourth day of July one thousand seven hundred and seventy six become Citizens of one or other of the United States, and who shall be Freeholders, shall be eligible to the Places of President, Vice President, or Members of either House of the Congress of the United States." http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/ratny.asp
The first resolution did not make it into the final ratification document, while the second proposed amendment was in the final document sent to Congress.
Both John Jay and Alexander Hamilton were members of the New York ratifying convention.
So my question is - who specifically would be considered "a citizen before the 4th day of July" or "Citizens on or before the fourth day of July one thousand seven hundred and seventy six"?
Who are they talking about?
I thought there were no "citizens" before July 4th, 1776 only "subjects".
Can his mommie run? There’s the ticket.
All were subjects, mostly English. They were also CITIZENS of the several states. Basically they got to choose if they wanted to stay and become citizens of the *new* United States, or go on back “home.”
Since many families had been in the States for generations, most chose to remain. Instead of being a British subject who was a citizen of MA. or VA, for example, they would now be a US citizen in addition to being a citizen of MA or VA. By choosing to remain, they ceased being a “subject”
But it wasn’t exactly official until.......
SNIP:
February of 1783 George III issued his Proclamation of Cessation of Hostilities, culminating in the Peace Treaty of 1783. Signed in Paris on September 3, 1783, the agreement — also known as the Paris Peace Treaty — formally ended the United States War for Independence.