Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution provides that no person except a natural-born citizen may run for President of the United States. This was due to John Jay, the presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention, who wrote a letter to George Washington in 1787 arguing that the commander in chief of the United States Army should be none other than a born American (Schneider 6 ). The Founders were concerned that subversive enemies might force the fledgling republic to return to foreign monarchical rule. The delegates did not want the United States to suffer the same fate as Poland, which in 1772 had been partitioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia after agents from those countries bribed Polish nobles to elect a disloyal king (Schneider 6). The Founding Fathers of the United States, however, clearly state that “all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence. This equality extends not only to all natural-born American citizens, but should extend to foreign-born Americans as well. This fundamental idea of ​​equality contradicts the Constitution. All American citizens should have an equal opportunity to seek the highest elected office in the United States. Looking at the role immigrants have played in American history – especially the sacrifices made by foreign-born American citizens on the battlefield, the easier access to information about candidates through the media during elections, checks on the Constitution, and modern diplomacy – we see that foreign-born American citizens are not only loyal to America, but also have the ability and passion to serve the United States as President without American citizens having to question loyalty and intentions . The original... half of the paper... ... People. USHistory.org and Web. July 28, 2010. Isaacson, Walter. "Henry Kissinger - Biography". The Nobel Peace Prize 1973.Nobelprize.org. Network. August 3, 2010.Kasindorf, Martin. “Should the Constitution be changed for Arnold?” USA TODAY [LosAngels] December 3, 2004. Web. July 30, 2010. King, Martin Luther. "Letter from Birmingham Prison." Letter from Birmingham Prison 1963. Stanford.edu. Web. July 1, 2010.Governor's Office. "Biography". Governor Jennifer M. Granholm State of Michigan. Gov,nd Web. July 28, 2010. Schneider, Bill. “President Schwarzenegger: A Potential Success.” Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5. U.S. Constitution Online, n.d. Web July 28, 2010. U.S. Department of Labor “Elaine L. Chao.” Hall of Secretaries Web. 28 July 2010.