State Historical Society of Iowa

Language Proclamation Correspondence #3, June 6, 1918

    Download Image Resource

Letter from Pastor C.A. Gabert to Iowa Governor W.L. Harding asking for permission to conduct church services in Swedish.
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Gavert, C.A., 6 June 1918

Description 

This letter from Pastor C.A. Gavert to Iowa Governor William Harding on June 6, 1918, is asking for permission to conduct church services in Swedish. At the time, this action was illegal in Iowa because of the Babel Proclamation.

Transcript of Language Proclamation Correspondence #3

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What is Pastor C.A. Gavert requesting from Governor William Harding? Evaluate the effectiveness of his argument and use of evidence.
  • How have members of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mission Church supported the war effort according to Gavert? Do you feel this is reason enough to allow the church to conduct services in a language other than English? Why or why not?