In the early 19th century, a new educational philosophy began to emerge on the mainland, and the country's first school for the Deaf opened in 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut (now called the American School for the Deaf). Many of the Deaf children of Martha's Vineyard enrolled there, taking their sign language with them. The language of the teachers was French Sign Language, and many of the other Deaf students used their own home-sign systems. This school became known as the birthplace of the Deaf community in the United States, and the different sign systems used there, including MVSL, merged to become American Sign Language or ASL—now one of the largest community languages in the country.