The ongoing debate in our great and diverse nation is whether an official mother tongue should be enacted into law: it is English. Throughout the world, the United States has been seen throughout its nation as an unparalleled melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. Since the days of the settlers, one could easily notice the German Jagerhaus, British pubs, as well as Italian restaurants, each with a distinct flavor and language. This vast observed difference is what makes America unique. Until very recently, it was unknown anywhere other than our great country to be able to sit in a classroom and have classmates from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle -East and Latin America. This great mix of societies continues to advance our perception of the world and refine us on the principle that it is okay to stand out. So what would be the point of having a law in place requiring everyone to use a certain language? What may be surprising to learn is that this issue has long been on the political table in America. Mandates appeared on the language as early as 1803, during the acquisition of Louisiana from the French. This decision required all citizens of the territory to conduct business, handle legal matters, and instruct all school students in English (us-english.org). In 1847, a law was passed to repeal part of the mandate placed on this area. The law authorized Anglo-French education in public schools. This, along with all French linguistic rights, was desecrated after the Civil War (The Civil War Society). During this westward “expansion,” many feathers were ruffled. Another example is the acquisition of l...... middle of paper ......Brian. Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (IIed). San Francisco: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007. Martin, James J. An American adventure in book burning in the style of 1918. Ralph Myles Publisher, 1988. Pullum, George K. "Here come the linguistic papers." National language and linguistic theory (1987): 603-9.Roosevelt, Theodore. Commemorative edition of the works. New York: The 11 Sons of Charles Scribner, 1926. Volume XXIV. The Civil War Society. Franco-Americans in the Civil War. 16 02 2002. 31 10 2011. United States Department of Agriculture. Spanish language of the United States. Government report. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, 2008.us-english.org. Organizational context. 11 12 2008. Organizational context. November 1, 2011. www.snopes.com. Voting in the official language. 14 09 2006. 10 11 2011.