[Velveeta]

I wholeheartedly disagree.

I don’t think the Founders would have added the clause “or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution” That clause grandfathered in those who were not born in the Colonies. The Founders were clear regarding subject to the jurisdiction thereof.

They didn’t say subject to British, Kenyan, French jurisdiction - ie to be inclusive. They were clearly being exclusive of other foreign jurisdictions.

[Michael Michael]

I don’t think the Founders would have added the clause “or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution” That clause grandfathered in those who were not born in the Colonies.

No, it grandfathered in those who WERE born in the colonies. Not those who WEREN'T.

To be a natural born citizen of the United States, you have to be born IN the United States. None of the founding fathers were born in the United States. The United States didn't exist when they were born. Instead they were born in the colonies.

When we declared independence from England, they became citizens of the United States, but not natural born citizens. Because again, to be a natural born citizen of the United States you have to be born in the United States, and yet again, there was no United States at the the founders were born.

Because they weren't natural born citizens of the United States, they had to be grandfathered in. And that's what the clause you quote above did. Otherwise, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison and so on down to about John Tyler would not be constitutionally eligible to hold the office of President.

Those who WERE born in the United States, were natural born citizens of the United States. And it didn't matter whether your father was an English subject. Under the jus solis of the English common law, your allegiance was tied to where you were born, not who your parents were.