The First Birthers
Long before Barack Obama was accused of being born in a country other than the United States, a similar allegation was made against another President, who was accused of being (gasp!) a Canadian. Chester Alan Arthur, who became President in 1881 upon the death of James Garfield, had his own "birthers" to deal with.
Chester Alan Arthur was born October 5, 1829, in Fairfield, Vermont. He was a first generation American. His father, William Arthur, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and emigrated to Dunham, in what was then called Lower Canada (now called Quebec) in 1818 or 1819 after graduating from Belfast College. Arthur's mother, Malvina Stone, was born in Vermont, the daughter of George Washington Stone and Judith Stevens. Malvina's family was of primarily English descent, and her grandfather, Uriah Stone, fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Malvina met William while he was teaching at a school in Dunham, just over the border from Vermont, and the two soon married. After their first child, Regina, was born in Dunham, the Arthurs moved to Burlington, Vermont, and later to Waterville, also in Vermont. In Waterville, William joined the Free Will Baptist Church, spending the rest of his life as a minister. He also became a fervent abolitionist, which at times made him unpopular with parts of his congregations. In 1828, the family moved again, to Fairfield, where Chester Alan Arthur was born the following year.
After Chester's birth, the family remained in Fairfield until 1832, when the elder Arthur's profession took them on the road again to several towns in Vermont and upstate New York, finally settling in the Schenectady area. It was because of William Arthur's frequent moves that Arthur's political opponents based their accusation that Chester Arthur was not a native-born citizen of the United States. After Arthur was nominated for Vice President in 1880, his political opponents accused Arthur of being constitutionally ineligible to hold that office.
A New York attorney named Arthur P. Hinman explored rumors of Arthur's foreign birth. Hinman initially alleged that Arthur was born in Ireland and did not come to the United States until he was fourteen years old, which would make him ineligible for the Vice Presidency under the United States Constitution's natural-born citizen clause. When that story did not gain credence, Hinman tried to spread a new rumor that Arthur was born in Canada, but this claim also failed to gain any support.
I'm not sure how Arthur was able to disprove the claims of the birthers of his day. Perhaps he too had to hold a press conference and show them his long form birth certificate.
Chester Alan Arthur was born October 5, 1829, in Fairfield, Vermont. He was a first generation American. His father, William Arthur, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and emigrated to Dunham, in what was then called Lower Canada (now called Quebec) in 1818 or 1819 after graduating from Belfast College. Arthur's mother, Malvina Stone, was born in Vermont, the daughter of George Washington Stone and Judith Stevens. Malvina's family was of primarily English descent, and her grandfather, Uriah Stone, fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Malvina met William while he was teaching at a school in Dunham, just over the border from Vermont, and the two soon married. After their first child, Regina, was born in Dunham, the Arthurs moved to Burlington, Vermont, and later to Waterville, also in Vermont. In Waterville, William joined the Free Will Baptist Church, spending the rest of his life as a minister. He also became a fervent abolitionist, which at times made him unpopular with parts of his congregations. In 1828, the family moved again, to Fairfield, where Chester Alan Arthur was born the following year.
After Chester's birth, the family remained in Fairfield until 1832, when the elder Arthur's profession took them on the road again to several towns in Vermont and upstate New York, finally settling in the Schenectady area. It was because of William Arthur's frequent moves that Arthur's political opponents based their accusation that Chester Arthur was not a native-born citizen of the United States. After Arthur was nominated for Vice President in 1880, his political opponents accused Arthur of being constitutionally ineligible to hold that office.
A New York attorney named Arthur P. Hinman explored rumors of Arthur's foreign birth. Hinman initially alleged that Arthur was born in Ireland and did not come to the United States until he was fourteen years old, which would make him ineligible for the Vice Presidency under the United States Constitution's natural-born citizen clause. When that story did not gain credence, Hinman tried to spread a new rumor that Arthur was born in Canada, but this claim also failed to gain any support.
I'm not sure how Arthur was able to disprove the claims of the birthers of his day. Perhaps he too had to hold a press conference and show them his long form birth certificate.