People have used motions and signs to communicate for a very long time. In fact, more than 200 sign languages can be found all over the world. American Sign Language (ASL) traces its beginnings to France.
In 1815, an American minister named Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet met Alice Cogswell. Alice was the 9-year-old deaf daughter of his neighbor, Dr. Mason Cogswell. Dr. Cogswell knew his daughter was smart and wanted her to go to school. But America didn’t have any schools for the deaf.
Dr. Cogswell and some other people decided to send Gallaudet to Europe to find the best way to instruct deaf children. Reverend Gallaudet was excited, because he wanted to teach deaf children about Jesus.
While Gallaudet was in England, he saw French deaf students signing. Reverend Gallaudet decided to go to France, visit their school and learn French Sign Language. But it was very hard. Gallaudet decided he couldn’t teach this new language to American students. What was he going to do?
Reverend Gallaudet asked Laurent Clerc, a French deaf teacher, to come to America and help him. The two men got on a boat for the long trip to America. During the 52-day voyage, Gallaudet taught Clerc English. At the same time, Clerc instructed Gallaudet in French signing.
When the boat arrived in America, they had developed a new language. And Alice Cogswell was the first student in their school!
