Attacks on language schools.

Remember the tide of immigration: German immigration peaked in 1882 at 250,000(!), but after that, immigration from southern and eastern Europe increased dramatically.

1.

In 1889-90 various attempts made in various states to legislate against German or in favor of English. At this time only 3 states, all in New England, required English: Connecticut (1873), Mass (1873), RI (1883-7). New York required English grammar be taught in non-English medium schools.

2.

1889-90: attempts to control lg in NY, OH, IL, WI, NB, Ka 1890: SD, ND (became states and tried to control). New York law was vetoed by governor.

3.

1889: Bennett Act in Wisconsin (Edwards Act in Illinois): Children 8 to 14 in public or private schools had to be instructed in English in 3 R's, Am History (and Geography in Illinois).

Republican party controlled legislatures in Wisconsin and Illinois: tried to stamp out German Lutheran schools. German Lutherans had been Republican but went over en masse to Democratic party, (joining Catholics, Scandinavians, Poles, & German Catholics, Freidenkers). Republicans were defeated, Democrats changed the laws back in 1890. Democrats also won federally in House in 1890, and Grover Cleveland re-elected in 1892.

Bennett & Edwards acts were repealed, but had taken their toll:

4.

Axiom: A FOOTHOLD GAINED BY ENGLISH IS NEVER LOST. Corollary: A LOSS OF A NON ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO ENGLISH IS NEVER REGAINED. By then German was taught as a subject only, except for religion. But note: as soon as German immigration peaked, assimilation of earlier generation German-American children began to increase. (Or, people began to notice that assimilation was happening).

5.

1889-90-91. General attacks everywhere: German discontinued in big city schools: St. Louis, Louisville, San Francisco, St. Paul. Under attack in Cincinnati & Milwaukee. [Cf. Kloss p. 157 on Cincinnati] Question: were attacks coordinated by the ``American Patriotic Association?" (Nativists) Was there collusion of (Irish) Catholic Church? Claims were made that German had been ``illegally used" in St. Louis. Two-pronged attack: against the languages, against the churches. See the Stundenplan proposed by the Evangelische Synode schools as a `compromise' (?) to assuage the anger of the anglicists (Schiffman 1996/1998, Fig. 8, p. 228). This figure shows that 50% of time is spent on 'English' subjects (all practical ones), with 50% on German subjects (religion, singing, biblical history. German language, spelling, writing, catechism, hymns...). Whether this proposed schedule was implemented or not is unclear, but it was proposed in a periodical published for teachers in the E. Synode schools.