Ben Franklin on English

[snopes]

Comment: I got this from my mother-in-law. Sounds like an Urban Legend to
me. Any info/insight would be appreciated. Love your site!!

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I didn't check this first. Hope it's true.


'Few of their children in the country learn English. The signs in our
streets have inscriptions in both languages. Unless the stream
of importation could be turned they will soon so outnumber us that all the
advantages we have will not be able to preserve our language, and even our
government will become precarious'

Who said this?

It was Ben Franklin, deploring the wave of Germans pouring into the colony of
Pennsylvania in the 1750's.

[Mateus]

Here's a copy of the letter

Here's a second source (begins on p. 11)

They behave, however, submissively enough at present to the Civil Government which I wish they may continue to do: For I remember when they modestly declined intermeddling in our Elections, but now they come in droves, and carry all before them, except in one or two Counties; Few of their children in the Country learn English; they import many Books from Germany; and of the six printing houses in the Province, two are entirely German, two half German half English, and but two entirely English; They have one German News-paper, and one half German. Advertisements intended to be general are now printed in Dutch and English; the Signs in our Streets have inscriptions in both languages, and in some places only German: They begin of late to make all their Bonds nad other legal Writings in their own Language, which (though I think it ought not to be) are allowed good in our Courts, where the German Business so encreases that there is continual need of Interpreters; and I suppose in a few years they will be also necessary in the Assembly, to tell one half of our Legislators what the other half say; In short unless the stream of their importation could be turned from this to other colonies, as you very judiciously propose, they will soon so out number us, that all the advantages we have will not in My Opinion be able to preserve our language, and even our Government will become precarious.

[Der Jägermeister]

It's all his fault, too! I mean he obviously wants to keep English as the only language in America, and yet in 1732 he printed the first American newspaper printed in German! Really, what was he thinking?

[Recklessmess]

Originally Posted by Der Jägermeister

It's all his fault, too! I mean he obviously wants to keep English as the only language in America, and yet in 1732 he printed the first American newspaper printed in German! Really, what was he thinking?

In 1753, when he wrote this, he didn't consider himself an American, he considered himself an Englishman. If you're to perpetuate the idea of an English colony, commonwealth, or whatever it was considered, then yeah, you're going to want to keep England English. But once we declared our independence, Franklin became an American, and this country ceased to be de jure English.

[Ali Infree]

Didn't Franklin bring up the idea of German as a official language?

I find this especially interesting, my patrinominal ancestor spoke German and arrived in Philadelphia around 1747 IIRC. So, he would have been part of the problem.
Three of his sons served in the Pennsylvania line of the Continental Army and received land grants in Virginia after the war. Don't know if they spoke English. The son from whom I descended was named Friedrich, but in the records is called Teterick, or Tetro, my favorite. Sounds like a beverage they would serve in Futurama

Ali "California Uber Alles" Infree