Given that most colonists had been born English subjects and children of British (or other foreign) subjects it's going to take a bit to figure that out.
I suspect he probably meant not someone who'd been born outside of the colonies. Gates and Lee had been born in Britain, Montgomery in Ireland, Mercer in Scotland, Lafayette, de Kalb, von Steuben, Kościuszko, Pulaski on the European continent. With all those more or less foreign generals and colonels in the army would it really matter so much where Greene's or Morgan's or Knox's or Putnam's father or mother had been born?
"The society that developed in the Chesapeake was so unique that British officials often made explicit distinctions between the English-born and the “natives” or "creoles” born in Virginia.
Reminiscent of what was going on in the Spanish colonies at the same time.
But did we really adopt the Spanish distinction between creoles and peninsulares and simply flip it upside down?
Official Report to Congress of the census records of the 1st 100 yrs of the country:
Congressional testimony from 1892 on the US population from 1790-1880, who were the natives and who were the aliens/foreigners and the natives were not the immediate offspring of alien fathers. This is directly from automated text so the spelling may be a bit off.
Mr Schade: Now, these figures were published at that time in various magazines, and I dare say they have been accepted by European statisticians as most trustworthy in ascertaining as to what this country has gained in population through immigration.
Now, I have made another calculation. I have gone up to 1890. Taking 1.38, which annual rate has been recognized by the census of 1870 as correct, I have found that the population of this country in 1890 would have been—that is, if there had been no immigration since 1790— 12,726,033, instead of 56,000,000, leaving out the 8,000,000 colored people. I intend to be as liberal as possible. Having added the 8,000,000 of negroes to those 12,726,000,1 will add another 5,000,000 thereby increasing the population to 25,000,000. Every fair-minded man will concede that I am as liberal as I possibly can be. I am, therefore, justified to claim that of the 64,000,000 people who inhabit this country at the present time 25,000,000 are such as have a right to say that they descend from the people who were here at the time of the First Census in 1790, and the balance (about 40,000,000) are either foreign immigrants or are descendants of those who came here since 1790.
Now. I want to give you some proof, taken also from the census of 1880, showing that this assertion of mine, this calculation is correct. In 1880 the foreigners and their children (not grandchildren) outnumbered the natives in the following States(see chart in the records)
The CnAirman. Are you allowing the natives any childreu or only the foreigners?
x Mr. Schaue. I repeat again that this statement is taken from the census of 1880. The census stated, for instance, that the foreigners number so many and those born in this country of foreign parents were so many. By adding them together I construed the above table.
The Chairman. You compare those with the native born?
Mr. Schade. I give the foreigners and their children. I do not add their grandchildren, because I give them to the natives.
Representative Geissenhaineb. You do add the children?
Mr. Schade. Yes, sir.
Mr. Deily. I should like to ask the gentleman a question. There are about (35,000,000 people in the country to-day. Now, how has he figured the ratio of increase of the immigrants during that time, and does he mean to say that the ratio of increase of the immigrants and their children is over 40,000,000, while that of the natives is only 25,000,000?
Mr. Schade. Certainly.
Mr. Deily. Will the gentleman inform me how many immigrants have lauded in this country and what the ratio of increase has been, at the same rate he is figuring there?
Mr. Schade. Do you want me to answer?
Mr. Deily. Yes, sir.
Mr. Schade. I have taken the official 3,231,000 of 1790 as a basis for my calculation, giving them an annual increase of 1.38 per cent, the most favorable of any country. By that calculation I have shown you that our population, had there been no immigration since 1790, would. in 1890, have been about 25,000,000 instead of 64,000,000.
Senator Hale. Your figures, from 1790 to 1890, would show the native population, including the blacks, to be 25,000,000?
Mr. Schade. Yes, sir.
Senator Hale. And as the whole population of the United States is 65,000,000, you conclude from that that the other 40,000,000 are foreigners and their increase.
Mr. Schade. Yes, sir; foreigners and their children since 1790.