How many presidents were not born Americans?

Answer 1

All Presidents of the United States were citizens of the US at the time the Constitution was adopted or were "natural born citizens" of the US by virtue of being born within the territory of the US after the Constitution was adopted.

Presidents of the United States who were not born Americans could be considered to be those who were born before the independence of the United States, and were therefore subjects of the British Crown at the time of their birth, even though all had been born within what later became the United States. These include the first 12 Presidents:

• George Washington
• John Adams
• Thomas Jefferson
• James Madison
• James Monroe
• John Quincy Adams
• Andrew Jackson
• Martin Van Buren
• William Henry Harrison
• John Tyler
• James K. Polk
• Zachary Taylor

In addition, sometimes those who served under the Articles of Confederation as President of the United States in Congress Assembled are called US Presidents in trick questions, even though they were mostly presiding officers of Congress and not Chief Executive officers as are the Presidents under the Constitution. All 10 men who served in this capacity might be called Presidents who were not born Americans. All but one were born in what became the US after separation rom the United Kingdom. Arthur St. Clair, in office 2 Feb - 4 Nov 1787, was born in Scotland and settled in Pennsylvania after serving in the British Army during the French and Indian War.

The two groups together make 22 Presidents who were not born Americans - because they were born before there was a formal status of "American" or "US citizen."

Answer 2

None. No President has been born outside the territory that is now the United States. Eight Presidents, however, were born before 1776, meaning they were born before the United States existed:

• George Washington
• John Adams
• Thomas Jefferson
• James Madison
• James Monroe
• John Quincy Adams
• Andrew Jackson
• William Henry Harrison

The Constitution gives three eligibility requirements to be president: one must be 35 years of age, a resident "within the United States" for 14 years, and a "natural born Citizen," A "natural born citizen" also includes those born abroad but only to parents at least one of them was a U.S. citizen at the time of birth.