Constitution article 11 section 1, clause 5?

Question

Say's: No person except a natural born Citizen may be president but our first seven presidents they where not born here! what do you think of that?

Answer 1

The first seven Presidents were eligible to serve because they were citizens at the time the Constitution was adopted. Van Buren was the first President born after the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1782), thus technically making him the first true American President, because you're right, the first seven Presidents were born British subjects.

It was Martin Van Buren, born December 5, 1782, who was the first President born after the Declaration of Independence and was thus arguably the first natural-born U.S. citizen (rather than a British subject) to become President. A Dutch-American, he was also the first President not of Anglo-Celtic origin. And, John Tyler (b. March 29, 1790) was the first President born after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

Answer 2

Read the whole clause:

No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President;

They were citizens at the time the Constitution was adopted. Besides they were born here they were just born before the United States existed as a country.

Answer 3

That's Article 2, Section I.

Read it all.

"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President"

I doubt there are many people alive now who were citizens at the time the Constitution was adopted, but obviously our first seven Presidents were.

Answer 4

Section 8.3 is the one most often used to justify various laws, as well as the general welfare claus. It doesn't always work, and many laws have been declared unconstitutional by the Court. But many more have been found acceptable. Constitutional Law is not just reading every word in the Constitution. It also involves the body of prior rulings by the Supreme Court and the arguments in those opinions. Check the cases that invoked the "commerce clause" for further insight.

Answer 5

They weren't? That's news to me.

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 (February 11, 1731, O.S.), the first son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington, on the family estate (later known as Wakefield) in Westmoreland County, Virginia.

Answer 6

You missed this phrase:

"or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution,"

Answer 7

They were all born in what later became the first 13 states, mostly Virginia, so they were natural born Americans.

Answer 8

I think that was necessary. The constitution wasn't ratified until 1787, so it would have been 35 years before anyone would be elligible to run.

Answer 9

There was not a country when they were born. But they were born here.

Also, #9 was born in "the colonies" also.

Answer 10

they were born in the colonies that they came from. they were born here.