For over two centuries, the United States has functioned without a federally declared official language. This is not an oversight, but a deliberate choice. The founders, wary of central authority, left language policy to the states, where governance was supposed to be closest to the people. Now, a new movement seeks to impose a federal mandate making English the official language of the United States. It is a curious crusade, championed by many of the same voices who claim to despise federal overreach, yet now clamor for Washington to dictate language policy from above.

This is not about preserving English—English is in no danger. This is about power, control, and the age-old hypocrisy of those who rail against federal authority only to embrace it when it suits their agenda.

The United States has functioned just fine without a federally designated official language. English has been the dominant tongue not because of government fiat but because of practicality, history, and cultural momentum. Immigrants, regardless of origin, have historically recognized that learning English is key to economic and social mobility, and they have done so without the federal government demanding it.

More importantly, language policy has traditionally been left to the states—consistent with the long-standing American tradition of local governance. Some states have chosen to recognize English officially, while others have adopted multilingual policies to reflect their diverse populations. The Constitution does not give the federal government the power to dictate a national language, which has been respected for well over 200 years.

Until February 28, 2025. 

Historical Takes on a National Language

If the Founding Fathers believed an official national language was necessary, they would have declared one in the Constitution. They did not. Why? Because they recognized that America was already a linguistically diverse nation. In the early republic, German, Dutch, and French were spoken widely alongside English. The idea of federalizing language would have been anathema to them.

Thomas Jefferson, the great advocate of limited government, specifically opposed federal control over education and culture. He believed such matters should be left to local communities. Yet today’s self-proclaimed Jeffersonians want to use federal power in a way that Jefferson himself would have condemned.

To be fair, there have certainly been cases where the subject of English as a standard language for the United States has been discussed. John Adams sent a letter to the President of Congress on September 5, 1780, in which he proposed the creation of an institution dedicated to refining and standardizing the English language:

“The Honour of forming the first public Institution for refining, correcting, improving and ascertaining the English Language, I hope is reserved for Congress.”

However, nowhere in this letter does Adams indicate he is interested in making English the mandated official language of the country. What Adams was speaking about was that English, like Latin previously, appeared largely to become the “language of the world” and should be cared for accordingly. He was not saying no other languages should be spoken or respected and he certainly was not advocating a homogenous language order from on high. 

At any rate, Congress declined to act upon Adams’ proposal, and no official language was designated at the federal level. Congress instead recognized the nation’s linguistic diversity and was reluctant to impose a singular language, allowing for a more inclusive approach to the country’s multicultural fabric.

In 1907, Theodore Roosevelt also pushed for a national language of English, believing it would lead to national cohesion. Respectable goal, but cohesion at the expense of the diverse cultural makeup our country was built on and has flourished with. As a result, this effort met with significant opposition and was ultimately shot down.

State Sovereignty…or Not

The same people pushing for this federal English mandate are, in many cases, the same self-proclaimed heroes who champion states’ rights. This is ideological opportunism, not principle. It reveals the truth that many so-called “small government” advocates don’t honestly oppose federal power—they just want it wielded in their favor.

  • When the federal government enforces environmental protections? Overreach!
  • When the federal government protects voting rights? Tyranny!
  • When the federal government mandates English as the official language? Well, that’s just common sense!

The irony is even richer considering the conservative outcry over Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, which mandates the use of French in various public and private sectors. Many Americans, especially those advocating for minimal government intervention, view these regulations as excessive and contrary to the principles of personal freedom. 

So What’s This Really About?

So again, let’s be clear that English is not in any way endangered. It is the dominant language of government, business, and media. The overwhelming majority of Americans, including immigrants, already speak it. If any country ever had a de facto official language, English is just that for the United States.

So why the sudden urgency of an executive order? 

Because this isn’t about language—it’s about identity politics and cultural control. 

This is not about ensuring English remains the common tongue. It already is. 

This is about using the federal government to enforce cultural conformity. It is about more separation and yet another attack on any form of diversity.

Declaring English the official language is a way to signal opposition to multiculturalism. It is a thinly veiled attempt to exclude non-English speakers from political and social participation, reinforcing the false idea that linguistic diversity is a threat rather than a strength. It is a carefully constructed, legal approach to segregation at best, outright bigotry at worst.

It is also an excuse to cut government services in other languages, including translation for immigrants, public health materials, and bilingual education. This would not just inconvenience non-English speakers—it would actively harm communities, particularly in emergency situations where language access can mean the difference between life and death.

A federal mandate declaring English the official language is a solution to a problem that does not exist, proposed by people who claim to oppose federal overreach—except when it serves their interests. It is yet another political maneuver designed to drive a wedge between us, not to unify.

If English is truly as common as its advocates claim, it does not need federal protection. If states’ rights are truly as sacred as these lawmakers argue, they should not be undermined by Washington’s interference. And if the United States is truly a land of liberty, then its people should be free to speak and conduct their lives without the heavy hand of the federal government telling them how to do so.

Hypocrisy may be the official language of Washington, D.C, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to speak it.

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