Here's a breakdown of its origins:
* Early 1800s: The American School for the Deaf was founded in 1817, aiming to educate deaf children.
* French Influence: The school's first principal, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, traveled to Europe and learned sign language from the Abbé de l'Épée's system in France.
* Development of ASL: While the initial sign language used at the school was based on French Sign Language (LSF), it evolved and developed into its own distinct language, influenced by local sign languages used by Deaf communities in the US.
Therefore, ASL is a unique language that developed independently within the United States and is distinct from French Sign Language and other sign languages around the world.