[estebeta]

What does the year before his birth have to do with the issue? The Constitution doesn't require the President to be of legitimate birth, only a citizen by birth (most of the Founders assumed that Alexander Hamilton, an illegitimate son, would be President sooner or later).

[masadaman]

Ahem, newbie. Not a “citizen by birth’ but a natural born citizen .

[masadaman]

Also, for the record, Hamilton was born in the British Virgin Islands, if I recall correctly.

[mojitojoe]

[El Gato]

What does the year before his birth have to do with the issue? The Constitution doesn't require the President to be of legitimate birth, only a citizen by birth (most of the Founders assumed that Alexander Hamilton, an illegitimate son, would be President sooner or later).

Acutally not a "citizen by birth", a natural born citizen. Not quite the same thing. But of the first 9 Presidents, only 1 was natural born US citizen. But all of them were citizens at the time of the ratification of the Constitution. (Martin Van Buren was born in 1783, after the revolution but before the Constitution was ratified. As was Zachary Taylor, the 12th President,born in 1784. They were natural born citizens and citizens at the time of the ratification of the Constitution. But "citizens at the time" would have included Hamilton, should he have been elected rather than killed by sitting VP Burr.