What does the natural-born citizen law of that time read?
Thats the $64K question ...
From my research, I am of the feeling that, under the concept of “original intnet”, the terms “natural born citizen”, “citizen at birth”, and “citizen by birth” meant the SAME thing to the Founding Fathers.
As opposed to “naturalized citizen”.
Now, the FFs borrowed LIBERALLY from the Magna Carta and English Common Law, they also looked to Blackstone’s Commentaries on English Common Law.
Blackstone cites English precedent that children born abroad to two British subjects who owe their alleigiance to the King, and whose father is in service to the King, are INDEED natural born British subjects.
Since MOST of the lawyers in America at the time of the Constitutional Convention were trained in British Law, I believe that this would have been their interpretation.
You stated that the “FFs borrowed LIBERALLY from the Magna Carta and English Common Law” whereas I would say that the “FFs borrowed EXTENSIVELY from the Magna Carta and English Common Law.” We wouldn't want to inadvertently taint the Founding Fathers, now, would we?