[Cboldt]

So called "Native Americans" (Indians, for the most part) were distinguished from the political class of "citizens," so much so that Native Americans born on US soil were not considered citizens of the US.

One more remark, following your blockquote. Citizenship tended to follow that of the father, at the time the Constitution was drafted.

[xzins]

I agree, at the time blood descent was from the father, although Blackstone muddies those waters a bit, as does Kent in 1826.

Subsequent law, as we are aware, removed all such gender-based distinctions. However, the principle of “one parent derived citizenship” goes all the way to the law of 1790.