The History of American Sign Language

The history of American Sign Language didn't truly begin until 1814 when deaf education was introduced to the U.S.

There is virtually no information about American Sign Language history before this time.

In the early 1800s, though, we know there were about 2,000 deaf Americans. There was no standard language at this time in Deaf history, but various signing systems were created in the deaf communities that are now known as Old American Sign Language. The American Sign Language of today is actually related to this language.

The actual history of American Sign Language is traced back to 1814 with Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (a very important person in American Deaf history). Gallaudet was a minister from Hartford, Connecticut. His neighbor, Mason Fitch Cogswell, had a nine-year-old deaf daughter named Alice Cogswell. Gallaudet realized that Alice was very smart despite the fact that she couldn't hear or speak, and wanted to teach her how to communicate.

Gallaudet had some success with teaching her how to spell and read, but he didn't know the most effective way of educating a deaf child. So, Gallaudet gained support from the community and raised enough money to travel to Europe. Since there was an educational deaf history in Europe, this was where Gallaudet could study the proven methods for educating deaf children.

Alice Cogswell Photo courtesy of the American School for the Deaf

Gallaudet first met Abbe Roche Ambroise Sicard in London. Sicard was Abbe de L'Epee's successor and the head of the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes in Paris. Sicard was in London presenting his theories about deaf education and demonstrating his successful teaching methods.

Two accomplished deaf teachers from the National Institute were with him: Jean Massieu and Laurent Clerc (Clerc is also another very important person in American Deaf history). Both of them were once Sicard's students. Gallaudet was in awe at all he learned in London. Sicard extended an invitation to visit the National Institute in Paris, and Gallaudet accepted.

Gallaudet attended daily classes with Sicard, Massieu, and Clerc at the National Institute for two months. He studied their teaching methods and even took private lessons from Clerc.

When Gallaudet was getting ready to return to America, he asked Clerc to join him. Clerc was one of Sicard's best teachers, and Gallaudet knew that he would be a huge help in establishing a school for the deaf in America. Clerc agreed to travel to America.

In 1817, Gallaudet and Clerc's American Asylum for Deaf-Mutes (now the American School for the Deaf) was established in Hartford, Connecticut. This was a huge milestone in American Deaf history. This was the first free public school for the deaf in America. Alice Cogswell was the first to enroll.

The school grew quickly with Gallaudet as principal and Clerc as head teacher. Deaf people from all over the United States were brought together for the first time. Just like at Abbe de L'Epee's school, the children brought signs from home with them. American Sign Language stemmed from these signs as well as the signs from the French Sign Language that Gallaudet learned from Clerc.

Gallaudet retired in 1830. Until the 1850s, Clerc continued to teach at the school. By 1863, there were twenty-two schools for the deaf in the US. Most of them were founded by Clerc's students and trained teachers (both deaf and hearing). They continued to use Clerc's teaching methods in these schools.

Higher Education

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet died in 1851. However, two of his sons continued his work in the deaf education field. Thomas Gallaudet founded Saint Ann's Church for Deaf-Mutes in 1852 in New York City. Edward Miner Gallaudet, his younger brother, became a teacher at the school in Hartford.

Edward always wanted to establish a college for the deaf, but the extravagant funding always seemed impossible. However, in 1857, Amos Kendall sent Edward a letter. Kendall was a wealthy philanthropist from Washington who donated acres of his land in Washington, D.C. to establish a residential school he called the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind.

In his letter, he asked Edward to be the superintendent of this school. Edward accepted the job, but still wanted to establish a college for the deaf.

Edward presented his idea to Congress. Congress passed legislation in 1864, signed by President Lincoln, allowing the Columbia Institute to grant college degrees.

Interesting fact: Abe Lincoln's hands on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. form the letters A and L in American Sign Language.

In 1864, the Columbia Institute's college division (the National Deaf-Mute College) opened. This was the first college for the deaf in Deaf history. After Kendall died in 1869, the remaining eighty-one acres of his estate were eventually sold to the Columbia Institution.

In 1891, the first training center for teachers of the deaf was established at the school.

In 1893, the National Deaf-Mute College was renamed Gallaudet College in honor of Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.

In 1986, the school's name was changed again to Gallaudet University.

Gallaudet University is known today as the first and only liberal arts university for the deaf in the world. And it's in our very own Washington, D.C.!

Deaf history book recommendations: