Replies

>>bioqubit
Prior to 1795, the idea was that being born outside U.S. territorial jurisdiction, you could still be “Natural Born”. 5 years, and one French Revolution, later, Congress realized they made a mistake and corrected it with the Immigration Act of 1795.

>>GilesB
The act of 1795 does not disqualify a person born to US citizens outside the US from the presidency.

OUCH!

I think you two may have stumbled upon such a fine point of law that you could cut yourself on it! :-)

The Naturalization Act of 1795
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, that the children of persons duly naturalized, dwelling within the United States, and being under the age of twenty-one years at the time of such naturalization, and the children of citizens of the United States born out of the limits and jurisdiction of the United States, shall be considered as citizens of the United States. Provided, that the right of citizenship shall not descend on persons whose fathers have never been resident of the United States.

So if you are born outside the US of 2 citizen parents, you are a citizen as long as your father had, at some point in his life, resided in the United States.