Vulgar American Sign Language

Good day everyone, thank you for stopping by. I have a brief story to share with you about Laurent and the vulgar ASL that he encountered when he began teaching the Deaf of America.

It seems that Laurent enjoyed the company of other teachers of the Deaf and would attend the conferences they held every couple of years. On August 13, 1856, Laurent began attending the Convention of the Instructors and Other Delegates of the Deaf and Dumb in Staunton, Virginia. Apparently it was scheduled for the previous year but an epidemic (sound familiar?) delayed it until 1856. Laurent is there, only 2 years before his eventual retirement to be part of America's discussion on the best methods for teaching the Deaf.

Dr. Harvey Peet, a former student of Laurent's, is presenting an academic paper on Deaf education. Within the context of his paper, Dr. Peet appeared to be discussing the role of interpersonal school relationships on the formation of what was becoming American Sign Language (ASL).

In his presentation comments that he "was one of those who learned signs under the earliest system introduced into this country by Mr. Gallaudet and Mr. Clerc." While I was doing this (learning ASL, I would not neglect to associate with the pupils, to study their gestures and the expression of their countenances, to put in practice the signs I had learned , and to acquire the colloquial use of the language" . He noted that "The very first day I went to Hartford, Mr. Clerc returned from a visit to Philadelphia. I recollect very well the dialogue we had in the sign language”. 

Later in his presentation Dr. Peet mentions Laurent, either reminiscing about a classroom lecture or having Laurent demonstrate his point "Mr. Clerc here illustrated the present form of expressing : I eat . I do not eat . Do I eat ? Do I not eat ?”

This year Laurent appears to be basking in all his glory as his peers show him the deference that I am sure he desired. Laurent was about 2 years away from his retirement but had recently mentioned to the board of The American Asylum that he did not wish to give up teaching or the salary attached to it. But he was 71 years old and likely feeling the 40 years of classroom instruction. Later, either wishing to weight in on Dr. Peet's paper or feeling neglected, Laurent comes up to the podium/platform and delivers his evaluation of the state of Deaf instructors.

“Since our three last Conventions, I have often been asked how we went on in our Institutions, and my reply has always been, that we got along very well - that several new schools have been established - that we met with liberal patronage - that we had made many good scholars , and that we were now teaching higher branches of sciences, besides teaching penmanship and drawing. With respect to inquiries whether any improvements had been made in the method of imparting instruction to the Deaf and Mutes, I am sorry to say that my answer was, that I did not see that anything new had yet been made anywhere — that on the contrary, I found with regret that several of the new and young teachers did not take the trouble to learn our fine and admirable language of signs ; nor did they endeavor to study and cultivate the system of instruction, or to teach the construction of sentences by analyzing them. They generally resort too much to the use of their fingers, imagining that their pupils understand quite well what is spelled or dictated to them, nor do they care much about ascertaining whether their pupils understand all they write so well down on their slates. If they did, they would soon discover that the memory of their pupils is more to be depended upon than their intelligence. It is not till the pupils have been several years under instruction, that they succeed better in expressing their thoughts. The best compositions of some of our pupils, which have appeared in our annual Reports or in newspapers or letters, are from pupils who once heard and spoke until reaching a certain age. Witness the thoughts on music, by a young lady, inserted in the first number of the seventh volume of the Annals of the Deaf and Dumb. That young lady could hear and speak until she was twelve years old, according to some who have known her, and fifteen according to others. I also think that other compositions which have appeared in print have been corrected a great deal; for the style of those compositions is like that of those who hear and speak; whereas that of the Deaf and Dumb from birth is quite different. Whenever you happen to see or to meet with a Deaf and Dumb person who has been educated, no matter in what Institution, and wish to know how far he can write correctly, the best way to ascertain is this: Take a book of poetry; open it at random; show him four or six verses; and after he has read, request him to change them in prose, according to the rules of grammar and the order of ideas; and if he does it well , you are convinced that he is master of the language; but if he cannot, then you have proof that his letters or addresses or stories, which are so well composed, have been corrected by friends . L. CLERC” 

Laurent does not appear to be happy about what he feels is changing with the advent of new teaching methods and in particular quality of new teachers. We already know that he has been lamenting the changes in the method he learned from Sicard but perhaps that diminished role of Deaf instructors in an educational system utilizing more hearing teachers? This also sounds familiar.

In a discussion about the power of the principle of a school for the deaf Dr. Peet evokes Laurent once again.

“The hours of instruction, study, work, recreation, meals and sleep, are prescribed by the Faculty; and they make such other regulations in regard to all these matters as they judge expedient. The Principal is bound to carry into effect the rules enacted by the Faculty. He is required, also, to submit to the Faculty, for adjudication by them, all important cases of discipline for offenses against the general rules and order of the Institution. The Faculty at Hartford is composed of the hearing and speaking instructors, and no others, except Mr. Clerc.”

It is interesting timing as Laurent, not many years before, had just come out of a struggle (as representative to the American Asylum faculty) with then principal Thomas H. Gallaudet and the Asylum board over the powers and responsibilities of this soon to be retired pioneer of Deaf education. Was Dr. Peet using Laurent's situation to highlight an important issue surfacing in Deaf schools across the nation.?

Discussing further about the power of a school principal…

“The system of having the Faculty to make the laws for the government of any particular Institution, it is found necessary to modify in the only Institution in which it exists; for instance, persons only who are capable of hearing and speaking are members of the Faculty. Mr. Clerc is, by special law, an exception to this rule. Here are persons who may be as intelligent as any others excluded from the Faculty. Since the Deaf - Mute Instructors are excluded from the Faculty, it seems, they have not quite confidence enough that this system would operate well. It seems, that under the system which has been adopted, the Faculty must be reduced to a certain select number, to the exclusion of others no less qualified to discharge the duties of that position. As has been remarked, no Superintendent would ever think of making out a system of internal policy, without the advice and cooperation of those with whom he is associated. But there must be a concentration of power somewhere. This principle is observed in the Hartford Institution; because it is understood that this power would be better executed by one than by eight.” 

We do not have, yet, much idea how Laurent felt about his work at this conference or the response to his suggestions on the method of Deaf education or his perceived impact. This would appear to be the last annual conference that he would attend due to the financial constraints of traveling on a retirement salary.

Giving further input into educational methods Laurent presents this brief statement which was interpreted for him to the crowd of hearing? Laurent Clerc, the venerable Deaf - Mute Instructor in the American Asylum at Hartford , ascended the platform , and spoke by signs ...

"Many years ago , the signs were more regular and more according to the meaning of words . Since that time , certain signs of much importance have been omitted or dropped , and others introduced and adopted, which have not any correct signification at all, and some of the teachers have been thus unconsciously led to learn them from those pupils who were green. The green pupils, who come to the Institutions, make certain signs, which no one but their parents, relatives and neighbors can understand, and which do not convey exact ideas."

Laurent apparently illustrated some of the bad signs taught recently. These signs he never taught, and were never taught by Mr. Gallaudet. It is bad to learn signs from other children. He gave here some signs, which he described as vulgar. For some further thoughts that Laurent had about changing ASL you can see this previous blog post: https://www.laurentclerc.org/post/the-sweet-and-ugly-2024-01-24

Into the Future

Laurent was not able to attend the future conference in 1858 in Jacksonville, Florida. We know this because Laurent sent the conference a letter indicating that he wished to come but could not afford it. His letter seems to give a hint that if anyone wished for him to attend or visit Deaf schools in the future they would have to cover his travel and lodging expenses. I am not sure anyone ever took him up on his offer.

Mr. Turner, then principal of the American Asylum in Hartford wished to acknowledge, in absentia, Laurent's retirement from teaching. Subsequently, the conference passed some resolutions regarding Clerc. I think that Laurent would loved to be there for this discussion but apparently the conference did wish to spring for his expenses.

“I would state in this connection, in regard to the communication from Mr. CLERC, that he is now in his old age, but still wishes to be useful to the Deaf and Dumb, for whose benefit he has spent a long life. He is very willing to visit any or all of our Institutions in the coming year or two, (if his life and health are spared,) that he may give them his assistance, advice, the benefit of his experience, the result of the improvements which have been made in the instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, from the beginning of the enterprise to the present time. He is willing to do this without any compensation, but simply from his regard for the Deaf and Dumb; and he wished me to say that his circumstances were such that he should probably not be able to make such an excursion or missionary tour unless his expenses could be paid, and he desired. me to suggest this, that if any of the Institutions desire a visit from him or residence of one, two or three weeks with the , he would visit them, provided his traveling expenses could be met. If any of the Institutions in the West should desire to secure his services for a short time, to gratify their pupils with a sight of the Old Pioneer in the Deaf and Dumb enterprise in this country, he is willing to gratify them; and nothing but his poverty would compel him to fix such a limitation. I would also say that Mr. CLERC is willing to superintend the personal education of two or three Deaf and Dumb young men, if they choose to put themselves under his particular care and supervision.”

A Mr. Noyes when discussing compensation for Deaf instructors gives a shout out to Laurent.

There is a single remark in regard to this paper, and a letter which was read this morning, which I deem it desirable should be made for the benefit of those speaking and hearing strangers present. It is this: the paper just read, and the letter from Mr. CLERC, which was read this morning, were both written by Deaf Mutes.”

A Mr. Dudley Peet commented when discussing how signs are developed…

“There is one difficulty in the way of this matter, that is very important. I desire that it should be accomplished, but the difficulty exists. In former times when there was but one Institution - the American Asylum - which supplied teachers for the whole United States, and when there was but one living teacher, or two at the most, as Mr. GALLAUDET and Mr. CLERC, who were instructors of the art, it was a very simple thing for them to push the sign - language towards perfection, and for the younger teachers to learn the language of signs in a perfect manner. Their pupils preserved the spirit of their signs, and they were sent out to other Institutions. It is different now. There are some twenty or more Institutions, throughout the whole country, separated by hundreds of miles; and the members of these different Institutions do not find it always an easy matter to send to the East to procure a new instructor. Again, there may be no new instructors - no young men willing to come to the West and teach.” 

Dr. Peet presents a memoir on the history of sign language and when discussing l’Epee and Sicard says…

“This is almost a solitary example. It shows that we are not indebted to Sicard, but to his pupils for those simple and convenient signs which Mr. Clerc brought to America, and the use of which has been transmitted from hand to hand among teachers and pupils, as the art has extended.”

Dr. Peet continues…

“That we thus had at the outset, the advantage of that system to improve upon, which is best adapted to our circumstances , and most capable of improvement, seems specially providential. And that Laurent Clerc , the best of Sicard's pupils and the ablest of his assistants, should have come over with Mr. Gallaudet to put that system in practice should be regarded as another special providential favor. Messrs. Clerc and Gallaudet so far retained the use of methodic signs as to have the means of dictating sentences word by word; but, following the spirit of De l'Epee's own method, they were careful to give life and significance to those signs, and to give clearness and precision to the pupil's ideas by explanations in pantomime, of which both those eminent teachers were expert masters . In such hands, the system of methodical signs was certainly not liable to the objection justly made to it in the hands of inferior teachers; -that it merely enabled the pupil to write from the dicta- tion of his master without his having any idea of the meaning of what he wrote.“ 

Mr. G. C. W. GAMAGE (Deaf Mute), of New York, offered the following resolutions. They were read by Mr. EDWARD PEET: 

“WHEREAS , The American Convention of Instructors of the Deaf and Dumb, learn that the venerable LAURENT CLERC, now being far advanced in years, has recently tendered his resignation as Professor at the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, where it is worthy of remark that he has distinguished himself as a faithful and accom- plished Professor for forty years, during which time he has enjoyed the universal confidence of those who know and honor him; and, WHEREAS, he has already been relieved from his long labors at the Asylum, and thus retired to the bosom of his beloved family; therefore, Resolved, That in consideration of his truly noble and meritorious services to the cause to which they have long been devoted, the services of ex-Professor CLERC will be perpetually cherished with profound gratitude and affection in the heart of every American Deaf Mute, as well as every speaking person who takes an interest in this class of the community. Deaf Mutes especially will cherish his memory, for they cannot forget that they, since the successful erection of the first American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, followed by other similar Institutions throughout the United States, have been rescued from the thraldom of total ignorance and heathenism, and thus raised to an enlightened knowledge of the truth of religion through the indefatigable exertions of both Mr. CLERC and the lamented and much - beloved Dr. GALLAUDET. Resolved , That Mr. CLERC justly deserves to receive a debt of gratitude from each Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. Resolved, That whenever he contemplates visiting any of the Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb, in which he doubtless takes deep interest, he will, like the glorious LA FAYETTE, who revisited the United States after his long absence, be everywhere welcome. Resolved, That as long as Mr. CLERC lives, we cordially wish him happiness and prosperity.”