Lafayette became a natural born citizen ... of Maryland.
On 28 December 1784, the Maryland General Assembly conferred citizenship on the (French-born) Marquis de Lafayette, using those terms.
Unfortunately until the 14th amendment (1868), you could be a natural-born citizen of a state but not one of the United States. I still think that he could become president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) after the war. This job was fairly similar to that of the modern-day Speaker of the House. He had no real powers other than to "preside," which is actually where the term "president" comes from. It could thus happen between 1785 and 1789.
Otherwise, he could be appointed as Secretary of foreign Affairs or Secretary of War under those same Articles of Confederation. My idea would be to use Lafayette in one of those three positions to modify OTL decisions taken by the Committees of Eleven and the Constitutional Convention (Hamilton was in favor of the use of "citizen" instead of "natural-born citizen").
Another less funny possibility without Lafayette is just to silence John Jay, as he is allegedly the main reason for the "natural-born citizen" clause.
A few links :
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_drafting_and_ratification_of_the_United_States_Constitution
- http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/john-jay-on-natural-born-citizenship.html
- https://www.jayweller.com/natural-born-citizen-defined/
- https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu...gle.ch/&httpsredir=1&article=7137&context=ylj
Edit :
- New York State gave citizenship to Baron Von Steuben months before Maryland gave citizenship to Lafayette.
- Lafayette was actually a honorary citizen of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia during his lifetime. He only became a honorary citizen of the United States in 2002.
On 28 December 1784, the Maryland General Assembly conferred citizenship on the (French-born) Marquis de Lafayette, using those terms.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland— that the Marquiss (sic) de la Fayette and his Heirs male forever shall be and they and each of them are hereby deemed adjudged and taken to be natural born Citizens of this State and shall henceforth be intitled (sic) to all the Immunities, Rights, and Privileges of natural born Citizens thereof, they and every one of them conforming to the Constitution and Laws of this State in the Enjoyment and Exercise of such Immunites, Rights, and Privileges.
Unfortunately until the 14th amendment (1868), you could be a natural-born citizen of a state but not one of the United States. I still think that he could become president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) after the war. This job was fairly similar to that of the modern-day Speaker of the House. He had no real powers other than to "preside," which is actually where the term "president" comes from. It could thus happen between 1785 and 1789.
Otherwise, he could be appointed as Secretary of foreign Affairs or Secretary of War under those same Articles of Confederation. My idea would be to use Lafayette in one of those three positions to modify OTL decisions taken by the Committees of Eleven and the Constitutional Convention (Hamilton was in favor of the use of "citizen" instead of "natural-born citizen").
Another less funny possibility without Lafayette is just to silence John Jay, as he is allegedly the main reason for the "natural-born citizen" clause.
A few links :
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_drafting_and_ratification_of_the_United_States_Constitution
- http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/john-jay-on-natural-born-citizenship.html
- https://www.jayweller.com/natural-born-citizen-defined/
- https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu...gle.ch/&httpsredir=1&article=7137&context=ylj
Edit :
- New York State gave citizenship to Baron Von Steuben months before Maryland gave citizenship to Lafayette.
- Lafayette was actually a honorary citizen of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia during his lifetime. He only became a honorary citizen of the United States in 2002.
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