Charles Michel de l'Epée has been credited as one of the founding members of French Sign Language. He realized his vocation upon meeting two deaf sisters and dedicated his life to teaching deaf students. These students brought his teachings from Paris, back to their native lands all across Europe, founding many residential schools for Deaf children. This quickly spread the use of sign language among the deaf and created a foundation for Deaf education. (Bahan, Hoffmeister & Lane, 1996, p.51-54)
Around the same time, in America, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet met his neighbours 9 year-old daughter. Alice Cogswell was deaf and her father, Dr. Mason Cogswell, was concerned about her education. Cogswell asked Gallaudet to travel to Europe to learn teaching methods from the reputable Braidswood family in England. Upon his arrival, Gallaudet was disappointed to learn that this family used the oral method of teaching the deaf, as well as being turned away from learning from their resources. Later, he met Abbe Sicard (Epée's successor), head of the Paris Institut Royal des Sourds-Muets, as well as Laurent Clerc and Jean Massieu, deaf faculty members. Gallaudet was invited to Paris by Sicard, to visit the school and observe it's methods of deaf education. He was impressed by their means of teaching and studied teaching methodology from Sicard, all while learning sign language from Massieu and Clerc. In 1816, Gallaudet returned to America, along with Clerc. They travelled around New England and successfully raised enough money to open a school in Hartfort, Connecticut. Later, this school became known as the American School for the Deaf and Alice Cogswell was one if it's seven students. (Gallaudet University, 2014)
Around the same time, in America, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet met his neighbours 9 year-old daughter. Alice Cogswell was deaf and her father, Dr. Mason Cogswell, was concerned about her education. Cogswell asked Gallaudet to travel to Europe to learn teaching methods from the reputable Braidswood family in England. Upon his arrival, Gallaudet was disappointed to learn that this family used the oral method of teaching the deaf, as well as being turned away from learning from their resources. Later, he met Abbe Sicard (Epée's successor), head of the Paris Institut Royal des Sourds-Muets, as well as Laurent Clerc and Jean Massieu, deaf faculty members. Gallaudet was invited to Paris by Sicard, to visit the school and observe it's methods of deaf education. He was impressed by their means of teaching and studied teaching methodology from Sicard, all while learning sign language from Massieu and Clerc. In 1816, Gallaudet returned to America, along with Clerc. They travelled around New England and successfully raised enough money to open a school in Hartfort, Connecticut. Later, this school became known as the American School for the Deaf and Alice Cogswell was one if it's seven students. (Gallaudet University, 2014)
The language used at the early stages of the school was a combination of the imported French Sign Language, indigenous signed languages and home signs. Eventually, these factors evolved and developed into American Sign Language. (Bahan et. al, 1996, p. 57)