There is a problem here, if you use 1776’s population of the US (13 states)...it’s 2.5-million (more or less). No one can cite facts here, but one might assume that one out of every ten ‘citizens’ were really a first-generation American, and in some areas of the nation...it might have been one out of every four who were first-generation.
What is odd here, the natural born distinction applies only to the President/VP....not to House members, Senators, Judges or state Governors.
It would appear that the wording was created to prevent a case where some British (or French) figure arrives...gets popular regional support and ascends to the Presidency.
Anyone who was a "citizen" of the United States at the time of ratification (1789) was eligible to become President.
That would make children eligible, and immigrants since Independence who became citizens of a state would be grandfathered in, making their future children also eligible.
It would not include British soldiers who deserted, French or German (Hessian) soldiers who remained, etc.
-PJ
What is odd here, the natural born distinction applies only to the President/VP....not to House members, Senators, Judges or state Governors.”
In the letter online from Jay to Washington they were concerned about commander in chief I believe that is the distinction between the requirement for President/VP and congress.