Cogito ergo sum Do you know the meaning of this phrase or are you part of the majority of Americans who have had no formal training in Latin? The phrase means: “I think, therefore I am”. Take a moment to consider the history of teaching Latin in America. When educational institutions began to form in the United States of America, the teaching of Latin was a component of the curriculum. Educated European settlers brought with them their form of education, which included the teaching of Latin because it was considered a “study tool,” as well as “a sign of social status” (Wraga, 2009, p. 81). As the education system transformed into the one in place today, Latin continued to be an expected part of the school curriculum. Until the mid-1900s, over half of U.S. high school students studied Latin (Teaching of Latin in Schools, n.d., para. 2). Secondary school students studying Latin continued to be stable until the passage of the National Defense Education Act in 1958. Concerns about how U.S. students ranked globally in mathematics and science led to the omission of monetary support for studies of Latin (Teaching Latin in Schools, n.d., para. 3). Placing greater emphasis on mathematics and science, especially in terms of funding, has had a negative impact on the teaching of Latin. Instructors and advocates were unprepared to provide the empirical studies needed to support the principle that Latin should be funded and taught in U.S. schools. As a result, students enrolled in Latin classes dropped to less than 2% in 1994 (Teaching of Latin in Schools, n.d., para. 3). Interest in learning Latin has increased just over 8% since 1994. Paul Sandrock, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, reports......half of paper ......n Schools. (n.d.). Answers. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://www.answers.com/topic/teaching-of-latin-in-schoolsThe Survival of Latin?. (n.d.). The survival of Latin. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.lms.org.uk/resources/articles-on-the-mass/the_survival_of_latinStates. National Park Service. (2014, July 16). History and culture. National Park Service. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.nps.gov/wamo/historyculture/index.htmWraga, W.G. (2009). Latino Literacy Redux: The Classic Survey in the United States, 1921-1924. History of Education, 38(1), 79-98. Retrieved June 25, 2014, from EBSCOhost database. Baugh, A.C., & Cable, T. (n.d.). Latin influences on Old English. Latin influences on Old English. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.orbilat.com/Influences_of_Romance/English/RIFL-English-Latin-The_Inflluences_on_Old_English.html