The Title of Nobility Clause is a provision in Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, that not only forbids the United States from granting titles of nobility, but restricts members of the government from receiving gifts from foreign states without the consent of the United States Congress. This clause is also sometimes called the "federal" Nobility Clause,[3] because a similar clause in Article I, Section 10, Clause 1 bars the states (rather than the federal government) from granting titles of nobility.
One of the first issues that the United States Senate dealt with was the title of president. Vice President John Adams called the senators' attention to this pressing procedural matter. Most senators were averse to calling the president anything that resembled the titles of European monarchs, yet John Adams proceeded to recommend the title …."His Highness, the President of the United States, and Protector of their Liberties,"