State Historical Society of Iowa

Babel Proclamation, May 1918

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Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Harding, William, "Babel Proclamation," 4 December 1918

Description

The Babel Proclamation was issued by Iowa's Governor William L. Harding. He took the anti-German sentiment in the wake of World War I further than any other state. The proclamation said, "Only English was legal in public or private schools, in public conversations, on trains, over the telephone, at all meetings, and in all religious services."

Transcript of the Babel Proclamation

Source Dependent Questions

  • What was the historical context of this letter in relation to the Espionage Act and Wilson's letter on lynching? How does this timing show the government attempting to balance winning a war with upholding American values?
  • What arguments did Governor Harding use to justify the restriction of language under the Babel Proclamation? How did Harding define loyalty? How was this idea corroborated by the song "Don't Bite the Hand that's Feeding You?
  • Why was the suppression of German identity a focus of U.S. policies?

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