The history of how ASL and Deaf Education began in America
Below is a brief history, and keep in mind that the language--like all languages--has undergone changes and merges, and any point in its evolution has a whole history all it's own! That said, here's (a very brief and simplified summary of) the American Deaf folklore of how sign language came to be in America:
From the 1600s to 1800s, the island of Martha’s Vineyard (in Massachusetts) had a high incidence of hereditary deafness (which came from the Weald area of Kent in England). It was so widespread there, in fact, that Deafness was common, and everyone was proficient or fluent in the local sign language. Hearing people and Deaf alike would sign to communicate, and it could be likened to a Deaf utopia, where there was no language barrier!
Later, in Hartford, Connecticut, a hearing man named Thomas Gallaudet came to know a young deaf neighbor by the name of Alice Cogswell. He tried to teach the girl words (with the aim of religious education), and came to find through writing that she was capable of learning. At the time, though, there were no successful, permanent schools for the deaf to be found in America. He worked with Alice’s father, Dr. Mason Cogswell, and others in town to raise funds to travel to Europe, where a few different schools for the deaf did exist. Thomas Gallaudet toured Europe to visit these schools and interview the teachers. The Braidwood school in England seemed to have success using an oral method (speech and lipreading), but they were very secretive about their methods and required Gallaudet to stay many years to learn their ways.
Instead--while in London, Gallaudet met the Frenchmen Abbé Sicard, the hearing director of a school for the Deaf in France, and his two Deaf assistants/graduates-- Laurent Clerc, and Jean Massieu. The three were giving a demonstration on their successful Deaf education methods using sign language -- i.e., the “Manual Method”. They invited Gallaudet back to their school in Paris, where he observed and studied Deaf Education via the manual method--teaching by using the French Sign Language (Lingue de Signes Francais -- LSF) as the mode of communication.
Laurent Clerc agreed to travel to America with Gallaudet with the goal of assisting with the creation of the school. On their boat trip back to America, Clerc taught Gallaudet LSF, and Gallaudet taught Clerc written English.
Back in Hartford, with the Deaf teacher (Clerc), the religious teacher (Gallaudet), and funds from Cogswell and other donors, they established America’s first permanent school for the Deaf in 1817. At the time, it was called the “American Asylum for the Education of Deaf and Dumb Persons”, and has since been renamed to the American School for the Deaf, or ASD. The school can still be found today in Hartford, Connecticut, and you can learn more about the modern school on their website: asd-1817.org.
When the school first opened, though, there was a class of only seven students, and this doubled and tripled in the following years. Later students came from near and far--including Martha’s Vineyard! Those Martha’s Vineyard Deaf individuals brought with them their local Martha’s Vineyard (“Old Kent”) sign language, which then blended with the French signs brought over and taught by Clerc. The newly formed language at the school became the foundation that would develop into Old American Sign Language.
Although the language has continued to evolve into the modern ASL we know and use today, that school is where ASL and Deaf Education in America began!
From the 1600s to 1800s, the island of Martha’s Vineyard (in Massachusetts) had a high incidence of hereditary deafness (which came from the Weald area of Kent in England). It was so widespread there, in fact, that Deafness was common, and everyone was proficient or fluent in the local sign language. Hearing people and Deaf alike would sign to communicate, and it could be likened to a Deaf utopia, where there was no language barrier!
Later, in Hartford, Connecticut, a hearing man named Thomas Gallaudet came to know a young deaf neighbor by the name of Alice Cogswell. He tried to teach the girl words (with the aim of religious education), and came to find through writing that she was capable of learning. At the time, though, there were no successful, permanent schools for the deaf to be found in America. He worked with Alice’s father, Dr. Mason Cogswell, and others in town to raise funds to travel to Europe, where a few different schools for the deaf did exist. Thomas Gallaudet toured Europe to visit these schools and interview the teachers. The Braidwood school in England seemed to have success using an oral method (speech and lipreading), but they were very secretive about their methods and required Gallaudet to stay many years to learn their ways.
Instead--while in London, Gallaudet met the Frenchmen Abbé Sicard, the hearing director of a school for the Deaf in France, and his two Deaf assistants/graduates-- Laurent Clerc, and Jean Massieu. The three were giving a demonstration on their successful Deaf education methods using sign language -- i.e., the “Manual Method”. They invited Gallaudet back to their school in Paris, where he observed and studied Deaf Education via the manual method--teaching by using the French Sign Language (Lingue de Signes Francais -- LSF) as the mode of communication.
Laurent Clerc agreed to travel to America with Gallaudet with the goal of assisting with the creation of the school. On their boat trip back to America, Clerc taught Gallaudet LSF, and Gallaudet taught Clerc written English.
Back in Hartford, with the Deaf teacher (Clerc), the religious teacher (Gallaudet), and funds from Cogswell and other donors, they established America’s first permanent school for the Deaf in 1817. At the time, it was called the “American Asylum for the Education of Deaf and Dumb Persons”, and has since been renamed to the American School for the Deaf, or ASD. The school can still be found today in Hartford, Connecticut, and you can learn more about the modern school on their website: asd-1817.org.
When the school first opened, though, there was a class of only seven students, and this doubled and tripled in the following years. Later students came from near and far--including Martha’s Vineyard! Those Martha’s Vineyard Deaf individuals brought with them their local Martha’s Vineyard (“Old Kent”) sign language, which then blended with the French signs brought over and taught by Clerc. The newly formed language at the school became the foundation that would develop into Old American Sign Language.
Although the language has continued to evolve into the modern ASL we know and use today, that school is where ASL and Deaf Education in America began!
Resources for Learning More:
Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language by Nora Ellen Groce
This book traces the fascinating history of the use of sign language in the old Martha's Vineyard population, which was remarkably high in Deafness. The result was a community in which everyone--deaf and hearing alike--used sign language to communicate.
You can purchase the book here on Amazon. <-- That's an affiliate link, so your purchase helps support this website, but it doesn't change the price or process for you at all. Amazon's still Amazon :)
This book traces the fascinating history of the use of sign language in the old Martha's Vineyard population, which was remarkably high in Deafness. The result was a community in which everyone--deaf and hearing alike--used sign language to communicate.
You can purchase the book here on Amazon. <-- That's an affiliate link, so your purchase helps support this website, but it doesn't change the price or process for you at all. Amazon's still Amazon :)
When The Mind Hears: A History Of The Deaf
Interested in learning more about the origins of ASL? Want to dive into the Deaf experience and the background that shapes today's most heated debates? Love the folklore about Laurent Clerc and Thomas Gallaudet? Then this is for you. It's a deep-dive into the history that started sign language and Deaf Education here, and is told in a fascinating light through the eyes of the "characters" involved. It's a thick book and can be a dense read, but it's worth it!
You can find this book on Amazon through this link to both dive into the history of Deaf Ed in America, as well as support this website and my video lessons.
Interested in learning more about the origins of ASL? Want to dive into the Deaf experience and the background that shapes today's most heated debates? Love the folklore about Laurent Clerc and Thomas Gallaudet? Then this is for you. It's a deep-dive into the history that started sign language and Deaf Education here, and is told in a fascinating light through the eyes of the "characters" involved. It's a thick book and can be a dense read, but it's worth it!
You can find this book on Amazon through this link to both dive into the history of Deaf Ed in America, as well as support this website and my video lessons.
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Through Deaf Eyes
For a summary of all the above in a digestible video format, this documentary really puts the history all together, and also teaches about other parts of Deaf History, Deaf Culture, and sign language in general. I can't recommend this enough -- it's a must-watch for all my students! You can find it new and used on Amazon by clicking here. Again, this will provide a great background for new ASL students, and also help support this website. |