John Adams used the term “Natural Born Citizen” in drafts of the Treaty of Paris.
Circa 1782 if memory serves.
He did so in reference to U.S. Americans.
Circa 1782 if memory serves.
He did so in reference to U.S. Americans.
The leadership was using the term "citizen." Thomas Jefferson deliberately changed the word "subject" in his draft of the Declaration of Independence to "citizen." He erased "subject", and wrote in "citizen."
As i've told others, "Citizen" was a Swiss practice at the time. All the other nations said "Subject." Only Switzerland said "citizen."
The Framers had read Vattel. Pretty much everyone in a position of leadership during the founding/framing era, had read Vattel, and were familiar with the concept.
The Yokels out in the states, who had not been privy to the discussions of the national leadership, some of them continued to use "Subject", because they hadn't yet gotten the message that we were switching to "Citizen".
It is for this reason that conflating the "natural born subject" with "Citizen" is wrong headed. The two terms are founded on different philosophical principles.
"Subject" is inherently monarchist, while "Citizen" is Republican.
But modern people have tried to create a Frankenstein monster by arguing English law for the Republican concept of "citizen".