Did German almost become the USA's Official Language?

German almost became the USA's official language, just like your favorite snack might become the official treat at school.

A long time ago, when people were deciding what the United States should be like, they had a big list of ideas. One of them was that English would be the main language everyone uses. But there was another idea: maybe German should also be an official language, just like having two favorite snacks at snack time.

This happened because many people who came to America were from Germany. They brought their language with them, and they wanted it to have a special place in the new country.

Why It Almost Happened

There was a big meeting called a Congress, where important people talked about making rules for the USA. At this meeting, some of them said German should be an official language, just like English. The idea almost passed, but finally, it didn’t make the cut. English stayed as the main language.

So today, when we talk or write in English, we can remember that German had a chance to join the party, and it was pretty close to becoming one of the official languages of America! German almost became the USA's official language, just like your favorite snack might become the official treat at school.

A long time ago, when people were deciding what the United States should be like, they had a big list of ideas. One of them was that English would be the main language everyone uses. But there was another idea: maybe German should also be an official language, just like having two favorite snacks at snack time.

This happened because many people who came to America were from Germany. They brought their language with them, and they wanted it to have a special place in the new country.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. Imagine if the United States had two official languages, like Canada.
  2. It’s like if your school only taught one subject, but suddenly another subject got attention too.
  3. German was almost as popular in America as English during the 19th century.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity