In 1816, there were no schools for the deaf in America. Several people started a few schools, but in the end all of the schools closed. There were too many problems. The first people to succeed were Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. They opened their school in 1817, and the school did not close. At that time it was the only school for deaf children in America! Clerc and Gallaudet did not know what would happen after they opened their school. They worked very hard. The school grew, and many more students went to this school. These new students were from all over the country. People thought the school would be big enough for all of the deaf children in America. The school is still open today, but the name was changed. Today it is called the American School for the Deaf. It is in West Hartford, Connecticut. After Clerc and Gallaudet established their school, many other schools for the deaf were opened as well. Before Gallaudet's death in 1851, 15 other schools for deaf children were built! Many of the teachers at those 15 schools used Gallaudet's teaching methods. Many had even studied with Gallaudet and were deaf themselves! Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet were the first people who  _  .
wanted to build a school for the deaf in the USA succeeded in making the deaf speak as ordinary people succeeded in opening their school for the deaf in America succeeded in opening their school for the deaf all over the world