[BuckeyeTexan]

I do find it interesting that George Washington had a copy of Law of Nations in his personal library. About a year or so back, New York Library (IIRC) reported that GW had checked out a copy of de Vattel and never returned it. The late fines would have been something like $300K. His “estate” found the book in his library. I can’t remember if they replaced or returned the book.

[Mr. Lucky]

OK, but the founding fathers clearly understood and were following the precedent of English common law.

Speaking specifically with regard to the citizenship requirement in the Constitution, James Madison wrote:

It is an established maxim that birth is a criterion of allegiance. Birth however derives its force sometimes from place and sometimes from parentage, but in general place is the most certain criterion; it is what applies in the United States.