1 00:00:12,610 --> 00:00:15,180 ‫In the early 1800s in America, 2 00:00:15,180 --> 00:00:17,403 ‫there were no schools for the deaf. 3 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,120 ‫A young man named Thomas Gallaudet had recently graduated 4 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:23,913 ‫from Yale College in Connecticut. 5 00:00:25,010 --> 00:00:27,520 ‫As he headed back home, he was thinking about 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:28,680 ‫his purpose in life. 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,180 ‫He was looking for something 8 00:00:31,180 --> 00:00:34,010 ‫that would have meaning, a mission. 9 00:00:34,010 --> 00:00:36,580 ‫When he got back to his old neighborhood 10 00:00:36,580 --> 00:00:41,580 ‫in Hartford, Connecticut, some new neighbors had moved in. 11 00:00:42,110 --> 00:00:46,000 ‫Next door was Dr. Cogswell, a very prominent physician 12 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,203 ‫in the United States, and he had a deaf daughter, Alice. 13 00:00:51,490 --> 00:00:55,400 ‫Thomas met Alice and was very intrigued about 14 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:56,940 ‫how to communicate with the deaf, 15 00:00:56,940 --> 00:01:00,010 ‫and the idea of providing education for the deaf 16 00:01:00,010 --> 00:01:02,460 ‫so they would have the opportunity 17 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:06,680 ‫to live like everyone else, as ordinary citizens 18 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,673 ‫but to reach their potential in life. 19 00:01:09,810 --> 00:01:14,810 ‫Dr. Cogswell is part of a group of parents in New England 20 00:01:16,830 --> 00:01:19,110 ‫that had organized in order to try 21 00:01:19,110 --> 00:01:21,163 ‫to establish a school for the deaf, 22 00:01:22,350 --> 00:01:25,090 ‫and they had been corresponding with the schools 23 00:01:25,090 --> 00:01:27,200 ‫that already existed in Europe, 24 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,583 ‫in England, Scotland, and France. 25 00:01:31,630 --> 00:01:34,853 ‫Thomas was enlisted to go to Europe, 26 00:01:35,900 --> 00:01:39,040 ‫look at the schools there, see what was the best approach 27 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,650 ‫that could be used in America, 28 00:01:41,650 --> 00:01:44,193 ‫and come back and help to open a school. 29 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,560 ‫Thomas set off for Europe and went 30 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,160 ‫to the only place he could go to, and that was England. 31 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,670 ‫Continental Europe was embroiled in war. 32 00:01:55,670 --> 00:01:59,400 ‫Napoleon was still on the march throughout Europe, 33 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,043 ‫and the school in France was closed, 34 00:02:03,130 --> 00:02:08,130 ‫so Thomas went to London, and there, he went into the school 35 00:02:09,660 --> 00:02:11,763 ‫that was run by the Braidwood family. 36 00:02:12,950 --> 00:02:17,530 ‫As he entered the school, the rooms were dark, 37 00:02:17,530 --> 00:02:20,280 ‫the walls were bare. 38 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,860 ‫The students didn't seem very interested in 39 00:02:23,860 --> 00:02:24,933 ‫what was going on. 40 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,130 ‫Teachers were stern. 41 00:02:28,130 --> 00:02:30,190 ‫It was a gloomy environment. 42 00:02:30,190 --> 00:02:34,920 ‫These schools were oral schools, 43 00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:37,300 ‫and that means that no signing was allowed. 44 00:02:37,300 --> 00:02:39,400 ‫The teacher would stand in front of the room, 45 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,700 ‫speak to the students, and the students would try 46 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:42,703 ‫to understand. 47 00:02:43,690 --> 00:02:46,370 ‫It was very clear to Thomas that this was not 48 00:02:46,370 --> 00:02:48,313 ‫what was needed in America. 49 00:02:49,610 --> 00:02:52,180 ‫In addition, the Braidwoods had told him, 50 00:02:52,180 --> 00:02:54,500 ‫if you want to start a school in America, we can help you, 51 00:02:54,500 --> 00:02:58,080 ‫but you'll stay on as an apprentice here for three years 52 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,010 ‫and then we'll send one of our family members back 53 00:03:01,010 --> 00:03:02,560 ‫to be the headmaster in this school, 54 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,240 ‫and you must be sure you can't reveal our secret methods 55 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,170 ‫of teaching the deaf. 56 00:03:08,170 --> 00:03:11,920 ‫The Braidwoods were interested in the financial aspect 57 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:14,403 ‫of education, not education. 58 00:03:15,750 --> 00:03:18,670 ‫So, Thomas had traveled to Europe, 59 00:03:18,670 --> 00:03:21,380 ‫he had spent a good portion of the money 60 00:03:21,380 --> 00:03:24,600 ‫that had been given to him by this parents group, 61 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:25,513 ‫and he failed. 62 00:03:26,950 --> 00:03:30,870 ‫He wasn't sure what to do, but it seemed there was no choice 63 00:03:30,870 --> 00:03:35,490 ‫but to go back to America and tell them 64 00:03:35,490 --> 00:03:39,830 ‫that it just wasn't possible, he hadn't succeeded. 65 00:03:39,830 --> 00:03:41,830 ‫So, he was making his way to Southampton 66 00:03:41,830 --> 00:03:46,453 ‫for the passage back home and he stopped off in Brighton. 67 00:03:47,890 --> 00:03:51,040 ‫And what are the chances of this happening? 68 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:56,040 ‫He spots a flyer, and this flyer advertises a demonstration 69 00:03:58,370 --> 00:04:01,850 ‫by representatives of the Royal Institute 70 00:04:01,850 --> 00:04:05,450 ‫for the Teaching of Deaf/Mutes from Paris, France. 71 00:04:05,450 --> 00:04:06,900 ‫You see, they were in exile 72 00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:09,433 ‫because of all the turmoil in France, 73 00:04:10,380 --> 00:04:12,340 ‫and they were putting on exhibitions 74 00:04:12,340 --> 00:04:13,590 ‫to make a little pocket money 75 00:04:13,590 --> 00:04:16,140 ‫so they could survive until it was safe to go home. 76 00:04:17,490 --> 00:04:22,080 ‫So, Thomas, of course, went to this exhibition 77 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:26,780 ‫and was dazzled when we saw this young, deaf French teacher, 78 00:04:26,780 --> 00:04:30,714 ‫Laurent Clerc, talk about French Sign Language, 79 00:04:30,714 --> 00:04:34,400 ‫talk about deaf education, and take questions 80 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:35,543 ‫from the audience. 81 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,060 ‫He had with him his headmaster from his school, 82 00:04:40,060 --> 00:04:43,170 ‫the abbe Sicard, who acted as his interpreter 83 00:04:43,170 --> 00:04:44,683 ‫since the abbe could hear. 84 00:04:45,700 --> 00:04:48,330 ‫After the demonstration, Thomas was very excited 85 00:04:49,230 --> 00:04:51,750 ‫to meet Laurent Clerc and asked 86 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:54,180 ‫if he could visit their school, and they said, of course. 87 00:04:54,180 --> 00:04:56,830 ‫As soon as it was safe to go back home, they would. 88 00:04:56,830 --> 00:04:59,540 ‫And in a short time, Napoleon is defeated 89 00:04:59,540 --> 00:05:02,670 ‫and they set sail for France. 90 00:05:02,670 --> 00:05:04,280 ‫When he arrives at the school, 91 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:06,850 ‫which now has been recently opened again, 92 00:05:06,850 --> 00:05:09,573 ‫it's full of color, there are maps, 93 00:05:10,530 --> 00:05:13,560 ‫there are pictures, there are paintings. 94 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,883 ‫The children are animated and engaged, they're signing. 95 00:05:18,030 --> 00:05:21,030 ‫The teachers are pleasant and friendly. 96 00:05:21,030 --> 00:05:23,000 ‫This is a real school. 97 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:28,000 ‫This is what Thomas sees for America for deaf education. 98 00:05:29,310 --> 00:05:33,150 ‫But how could he do this? 99 00:05:33,150 --> 00:05:35,120 ‫He's not a teacher of the deaf. 100 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,450 ‫He doesn't know sign language. 101 00:05:37,450 --> 00:05:39,480 ‫He can't open a school for the deaf. 102 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:41,560 ‫He's found a method that could be successful, 103 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,440 ‫but he doesn't have the ability to make it happen, 104 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:48,273 ‫so he tries to enlist Laurent Clerc to come with him. 105 00:05:50,150 --> 00:05:54,780 ‫Laurent Clerc is intrigued, but he has a lot of reasons not 106 00:05:54,780 --> 00:05:55,963 ‫to come to America. 107 00:05:57,150 --> 00:05:59,980 ‫The number one reason, he's Catholic 108 00:05:59,980 --> 00:06:02,680 ‫and America is full of those Protestants, 109 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:04,280 ‫and he'd been warned about that. 110 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:09,660 ‫He would be leaving his school, his community, 111 00:06:09,660 --> 00:06:11,033 ‫his second family. 112 00:06:12,020 --> 00:06:14,440 ‫He would be going to a place that had a reputation 113 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:16,633 ‫for being lawless and dangerous, 114 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,880 ‫and think about this, he would be the only educated 115 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,950 ‫deaf person in North America. 116 00:06:24,950 --> 00:06:26,363 ‫How lonely would that be? 117 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:29,593 ‫It's a big consideration. 118 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:35,230 ‫Thomas, however, convinces him, this is your mission, 119 00:06:35,230 --> 00:06:37,090 ‫you have to do this. 120 00:06:37,090 --> 00:06:41,860 ‫Deaf people in America, without you, have no future. 121 00:06:41,860 --> 00:06:43,170 ‫They have no hope. 122 00:06:43,170 --> 00:06:44,453 ‫It all rests on you. 123 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,703 ‫So, Clerc, of course, is moved by that and decides, 124 00:06:50,890 --> 00:06:52,773 ‫I'll come to America for a year, 125 00:06:53,690 --> 00:06:55,290 ‫I'll help you get your school started, 126 00:06:55,290 --> 00:06:56,740 ‫and then I'll come back home. 127 00:06:58,090 --> 00:07:01,480 ‫Laurent Clerc died at a ripe old age 128 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:04,820 ‫in Hartford, Connecticut. 129 00:07:04,820 --> 00:07:09,820 ‫He, too, found his mission, but the warnings were true, 130 00:07:10,980 --> 00:07:12,723 ‫he died as an Episcopalian. 131 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:18,690 ‫But back to the story of how this all gets really started. 132 00:07:18,690 --> 00:07:22,190 ‫Clerc and Gallaudet now set sail for America, 133 00:07:22,190 --> 00:07:23,860 ‫and in the two months that it takes 134 00:07:23,860 --> 00:07:26,023 ‫to cross the Atlantic Ocean, 135 00:07:27,140 --> 00:07:29,950 ‫Clerc continues to work on reading and writing English 136 00:07:29,950 --> 00:07:33,140 ‫with the help of Thomas, and Thomas learns 137 00:07:33,140 --> 00:07:35,810 ‫French Sign Language from Laurent Clerc, 138 00:07:35,810 --> 00:07:37,363 ‫as much as he can absorb. 139 00:07:38,750 --> 00:07:42,100 ‫They arrive in New York, go to Hartford, 140 00:07:42,100 --> 00:07:44,400 ‫and in the spring of 1817, 141 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,530 ‫finally, the first permanent school 142 00:07:46,530 --> 00:07:48,610 ‫for the deaf in the United States, 143 00:07:48,610 --> 00:07:51,280 ‫now known as the American School for the Deaf, 144 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,563 ‫opens up in Hartford, Connecticut. 145 00:07:54,470 --> 00:07:56,310 ‫Laurent Clerc is the first teacher, 146 00:07:56,310 --> 00:08:00,670 ‫and Thomas Gallaudet handles the administration 147 00:08:00,670 --> 00:08:03,850 ‫of the school as he continues to learn French Sign Language 148 00:08:03,850 --> 00:08:06,100 ‫and to learn how to be a teacher of the deaf. 149 00:08:07,370 --> 00:08:11,730 ‫Clerc starts teaching with great enthusiasm, 150 00:08:11,730 --> 00:08:14,780 ‫and soon, he's quite discouraged. 151 00:08:14,780 --> 00:08:19,270 ‫He thinks the deaf of America, they have no language, 152 00:08:19,270 --> 00:08:20,450 ‫they have no education. 153 00:08:20,450 --> 00:08:21,530 ‫I will bring it to them. 154 00:08:21,530 --> 00:08:26,040 ‫They will love my beautiful French Sign Language. 155 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:31,040 ‫The Americans didn't, and Clerc was confused and frustrated. 156 00:08:33,410 --> 00:08:35,850 ‫You see, what he didn't realize was, 157 00:08:35,850 --> 00:08:37,920 ‫the Americans already had their own 158 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,280 ‫old American Sign Language. 159 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:41,980 ‫They were not without language, 160 00:08:41,980 --> 00:08:46,180 ‫but their language wasn't nearly as highly developed 161 00:08:46,180 --> 00:08:48,360 ‫as Clerc's French Sign Language 162 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,450 ‫because they didn't have schools. 163 00:08:51,450 --> 00:08:52,510 ‫There was no academic language, 164 00:08:52,510 --> 00:08:55,570 ‫there was no language signs for countries, 165 00:08:55,570 --> 00:08:59,810 ‫for historical events, for famous people. 166 00:08:59,810 --> 00:09:04,810 ‫There was no complex numbering system for doing mathematics. 167 00:09:05,050 --> 00:09:06,890 ‫There was no fingerspelling system 168 00:09:07,870 --> 00:09:10,203 ‫because they weren't reading and writing. 169 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,580 ‫So, they had a language that talked about daily activities 170 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:18,680 ‫and family and their immediate environment, 171 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:21,943 ‫but not a full language like French Sign Language. 172 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,040 ‫Clerc finally came to realize that, over time, 173 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,940 ‫what was happening was, these two languages were merging. 174 00:09:29,940 --> 00:09:31,970 ‫They were turning into a creole, 175 00:09:31,970 --> 00:09:36,500 ‫developing into our modern American Sign Language. 176 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:40,243 ‫And so, deaf education gets off to a great start. 177 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,180 ‫The school is successful, and soon, 178 00:09:44,180 --> 00:09:48,450 ‫schools are opened up in Pennsylvania, in Virginia, 179 00:09:48,450 --> 00:09:52,390 ‫in New York, until almost every state has its own school 180 00:09:52,390 --> 00:09:56,760 ‫for the deaf, all learning by means of this brand new 181 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,330 ‫American Sign Language. 182 00:09:59,330 --> 00:10:02,640 ‫And for the next 50 years, after the start 183 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,130 ‫of that first school for the deaf, 184 00:10:05,130 --> 00:10:08,980 ‫deaf education flourishes and culminates 185 00:10:08,980 --> 00:10:11,980 ‫with the opening of a college for the deaf 186 00:10:11,980 --> 00:10:16,920 ‫in Washington, D.C., which later was named in honor 187 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,310 ‫of Thomas Gallaudet, as Gallaudet College, 188 00:10:19,310 --> 00:10:22,663 ‫and it is now Gallaudet University. 189 00:10:23,730 --> 00:10:25,510 ‫The charter for that university was signed 190 00:10:25,510 --> 00:10:27,080 ‫by President Lincoln. 191 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:31,720 ‫And so, for that first 50 years of deaf education, 192 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,420 ‫because of American Sign Language, 193 00:10:34,420 --> 00:10:36,530 ‫deaf students were successful 194 00:10:36,530 --> 00:10:40,583 ‫and they were able to live like everyone else. 195 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:44,150 ‫In another segment, I'll tell you what happens after 196 00:10:44,150 --> 00:10:47,300 ‫that 50 years, where things changed dramatically, 197 00:10:47,300 --> 00:10:49,950 ‫and certainly, for the worse. 198 00:10:49,950 --> 00:10:52,730 ‫But that first period is important for us 199 00:10:52,730 --> 00:10:56,410 ‫to look back on as we see what happens in our modern times 200 00:10:56,410 --> 00:10:59,270 ‫with deaf education and the reemergence 201 00:10:59,270 --> 00:11:02,453 ‫of what you're about to learn, American Sign Language.