Yes, it was, because they were natural-born British subjects.
YOU need to quit pretending the grandfather clause MADE someone a citizen...automatically. It was a conscious choice called the Right of Election.
Aliens by election may then be shortly described to be those subjects of the crown of Great-Britain on the fourth day of July, 1776, who have elected to remain such, and have not since become, and continued to be, citizens of the United States, or some one of them.
St. George Tucker, Blackstone's Commentaries
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and it REQUIRED a witnessed, legal filing by the person wishing to become a citizen :
United States Congress, “An act to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization” (March 26, 1790).
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any Alien being a free white person, who shall have resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for the term of two years, may be admitted to become a citizen thereof on application to any common law Court of record in any one of the States wherein he shall have resided for the term of one year at least, and making proof to the satisfaction of such Court that he is a person of good character, and taking the oath or affirmation prescribed by law to support the Constitution of the United States, which Oath or Affirmation such Court shall administer, and the Clerk of such Court shall record such Application, and the proceedings thereon; and thereupon such person shall be considered as a Citizen of the United States.
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What's it to you anyway, Jeff..... by your own words
I frankly don't care one way or the other. It makes no difference at all to me.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
I never said the grandfather clause made anybody a citizen.
You quoted me saying that the Founders' choice makes no difference to me. It doesn't. I would be just as happy if the Founders had said you had to be born on US soil and have two citizen parents to be President.
Unlike you, I would have readily accepted what the Founding Fathers said.