This listing of our first presidents and their places of birth raises the question(s): if each of them was born in what was to become the United States of America and after the American Revolution became automatically its citizens, why did the Framers find it necessary to specify that the holder of the Office of the President, and only that office, be a “Natural Born Citizen?” Why wasn’t “citizen” adequate for that office as it was for the other offices enumerated in the Constitution?
There is a clause that made allowance for those that were born in what was to become the USA. The reason they wanted only a NBC going forward is they didn’t want divided loyalties. Our founders were brilliant.
Honestly If Obama isn’t the very description of the problem of divided loyalties - the maybe Muslim citizen of the world who went on a world apology tour - I don’t know who is. We rebuked the founders and have paid the price.
The inhabitants of the colonies became collectively naturalized on the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The addition of "natural born citizen" was added to exclude naturalized citizens, with the thought being that those born in the US, of citizens, would have strongest ties to the US, and would not be amenable to legal process by any other country. This was thought prudent because the president is commander in chief, and is the primary force for negotiating foreign policy, except for making declaration of war.
This was a constitutional policy question. Many have advocated that the requirement be dropped, so that naturalized citizens are eligible for the office.