Did America Almost Speak German? Posted by Sten on Apr 29, 2017 in Culture, Language
You have probably heard of that one Gerücht (rumor): The United States once had a vote that would have decided what the official language of the country was going to be. And only one vote decided whether that was going to be English – or German! The deciding vote was cast by Frederick Muhlenberg. This legend is called after him for that reason: the Muhlenberg Legend.
Frederick Muhlenberg
Truth behind the legend
Frederick Muhlenberg was the first speaker of the US House of Representatives in 1789. The alleged vote on the official language of the United States was in 1794 – but it was not about choosing an official language of the United States. German immigrants wanted some laws to be translated into German so they could understand the law and did not have to learn English first to understand them. The House voted on the matter, and rejected the request by 42 to 41. Muhlenberg could have had the deciding vote, but abstained. The reason for that becomes clear from what he said later: “the faster the Germans become Americans, the better it will be.”
What’s more, the United States does not even have an official language at the federal level. 32 states chose English as their official language at a later point in time – but the United States as a whole never made that decision.
So if the basis is that loose, how did this legend become so firm anyways?
Spreading the Gerücht
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Franz von Löher
The Gerücht was first mentioned by Franz von Löher, a German who in 1847 wrote a book about observations he made while traveling the States. It was spread by some in the years following. The Nazis widely popularized the Gerücht in the 1930s. Of course, it would make Germany look better if the United States had actually almost been a German-speaking country! It gained so much traction that in 1982, the Congressional Research Service looked into it and definitely showed that it was wrong. And yet, the story persists.
If you think about it, it makes little sense that such a vote would have happened. Even at the time, the United States was a nation of predominantly English-speaking immigrants. Only a small group spoke German. So, if not even English is the official language, why would German get to be that?
Did you believe this legend before? What do you think – should the United States have an official language? Let me know in the comments below!
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About the Author: Sten
Hi! I am Sten, both Dutch and German. For many years, I've written for the German and the Dutch blogs with a passion for everything related to language and culture. It's fascinating to reflect on my own culture, and in the process allow our readers to learn more about it! Besides blogging, I am a German-Dutch-English translator, animator and filmmaker.
Comments:
Kenneth Thomas:
There was never a proposal to make German the official language of the USA. During colonial days, Hanover was part of the British empire. Many Germans immigrated freely to the colonies, and German was the 2nd most common European language in the USA at Independence in 1776. But they were never more than 10% of the population at that time. Decades after Independence, on January 13, 1795, there was a proposal for Congress to consider printing the federal laws in German as well as English. During the debate, it was simply a motion to ADJOURN that failed by one vote. In the end, the request to translate federal laws was rejected.
James Richards:
Utter rubbish
James Bauernschmidt:
In the late 1800s, German was so widely spoken in Baltimore City that the minutes of City Hall meetings were recorded in both German and English. About half of the population back then spoke German. WWI put an end to that.
Ruth Berge:
America DID speak many languages for thousands of years before English was introduced. These were the native languages of the various tribes that lived here. The idea of a German speaking U.S.A. may be a footnote but don’t forget that the English is relatively recent here.