Alice Cogswell (1805-1830) was two years old when she suffered “spotted fever” (likely meningitis). She recovered but lost her ability to hear. Her bright, inquisitive manner attracted the attention of neighbor Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851).

Laurent Clerc arrived in Hartford in 1816 and brought with him the sign language of Paris, a city with a large Deaf community. He taught this visually sophisticated language to Gallaudet and other teachers.

Alice Cogswell’s story begins in 1805, in a time when the deaf community faced significant challenges and limited educational opportunities.

In 1814, Thomas visited his family in Hartford, Connecticut. Looking out the window, he noticed that his younger brothers and sisters were not playing with another child. When he went out to investigate, he learned that this young woman, Alice Cogswell, was deaf.

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