99:, issued the Babel Proclamation on May 23, 1918. It stated that Iowa schools must teach their courses in English, public conversations had to be in English, addresses in public were to be given in English, and religious services were to be in English. Harding asserted that allowing languages other than English to be spoken "disturbs the peace and quiet of the community" and would lead to "discord among neighbors and citizens." He maintained that all non-English languages could be used to spread German propaganda. He further argued that the proclamation would "save the lives of American boys overseas by curbing sedition at home." Harding stated that the proclamation should be treated as law, although it was accused of violating the
129:... There can be but one loyalty—to the Stars and Stripes; one nationality—the American—and therefore only one language—the English language." Virtually all ethnic minorities who spoke languages other than English opposed the proclamation to some extent. The proclamation was seriously enforced, and many "patriotic organizations" issued fines to violators. The majority of violators were caught when telephone operators listened to conversations for violations. For instance, in
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In response to the mandate, there were several protests, including one led by a priest at St. Wenceslaus
Catholic Church on May 30. Scandinavian speakers were not excluded from the discrimination; one Lutheran pastor wrote to his representative in May 1918 complaining that half his congregation would
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People debated the proclamation across the state and more generally what it meant to be "American". Some newspapers called
English "American", as calling it English would suggest that it was "borrowed, and therefore any European tongue would be as legitimate as English." After World War I ended,
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on May 23, 1918. It forbade the speaking of any language besides
English in public. The proclamation was controversial, supported by many established English-speaking Iowans and notably opposed by citizens who spoke languages other than English. Harding repealed it on December 4, 1918. The Babel
158:, for advice. Marshall responded that he couldn't "conceive the possibility that the people of any state could be guilty of such an absurdity." However, he advised the Jewish community to avoid publicly going against the proclamation. On June 13 Marshall wrote a letter of protest to Harding.
115:, the language in which he had been preaching for the past 40 years. The next month, Harding stated that "there is no use in anyone wasting his time praying in languages other than English. God is listening only to the English tongue."
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English as the
Official Language: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Education Reform of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, July 26,
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determined that German should not be taught in public schools and took actions to that effect, such as burning German books. Iowa also saw places that had German-related names renamed, such as
Germania being renamed to
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called the Babel
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publicly supported
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in 2006 called the proclamation "the most famous" of several "English-only" restrictions passed around the same time.
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led opposition, publishing several op-eds against the proclamation.A Jewish leader in Des Moines contacted
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However, it was generally popular among
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saw a particularly large rise in anti-German sentiment. On
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Forging new freedoms: nativism, education, and the Constitution, 1917-1927
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Louis Marshall and the Rise of Jewish Ethnicity in America: A Biography
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The proclamation became "the major political issue" in Iowa for 1918.
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285:"A century ago, Iowa's 'Babel Proclamation' targeted immigrants"
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be unable to understand the service if it were not conducted in
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549:"'Babel Proclamation' targeted Iowa immigrants 100 years ago"
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Ross, William G. (1994). "The War against German America".
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Clements, Gaillynn; Petray, Marnie Jo (March 31, 2021).
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Harding repealed the proclamation on December 4, 1918.
579:. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2006. p. 26.
373:. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 45.
254:. Internet Archive. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 182.
137:. Nebraska issued a similar proclamation. Across the
101:First Amendment to the United States Constitution
322:. Syracuse University Press. pp. 330–332.
62:and against Germany, the nation saw a rise in
547:Bauer, Bryce T.; Manatt, Dan (May 22, 2018).
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501:"Babel Proclamation, May 1918"
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210:Derr, Nancy (April 1, 2004).
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16:Proclamation issued in Iowa
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417:10.1080/17405901003675398
216:Iowa Heritage Illustrated
156:American Jewish Committee
212:"The Babel Proclamation"
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172:The Des Moines Register
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604:Revocation
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425:1740-5904
354:March 15,
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