Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg (/ˈmjuːlɪnbɜːrɡ/; January 1, 1750 – June 4, 1801) was an American minister and politician who was the first speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791 and again from 1793 to 1795.
Born~Died Jan 1, 1750 ~ Jun 4, 1801Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 4:15 PM
In 1763, together with his brothers John Peter Gabriel and Gotthilf Henry Ernst, he attended the at the in , Germany. In 1769, he attended the , where he studied .
In 1794, during Muhlenberg's second tenure as Speaker, the House voted 42–41 against a proposal to translate some of the new country's laws into German. Muhlenberg, who himself abstained from the vote, commented later that "the faster the Germans become Americans, the better it will be."8 Even though he never cast a vote against the translation bill, a legend developed in which Muhlenberg was responsible for preventing the adoption of German as an official language of the United States.8
According to another discredited legend, Muhlenberg also suggested that the title of the president of the United States should be "Mr. President," instead of "His High Mightiness" or "His Elected Majesty," as John Adams had suggested.9
Muhlenberg was president of the council of censors of Pennsylvania, and was appointed receiver general of the Pennsylvania Land Office on January 8, 1800, serving until his death in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on June 4, 1801.12
Personal life
On October 15, 1771, Muhlenberg married Catherine Schaeffer, the daughter of wealthy Philadelphia sugar refiner David Schaeffer. They had seven children.13
Minardi, Lisa. "Frederick Muhlenberg." In Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to the Present, vol. 1, edited by Marianne S. Wokeck. German Historical Institute. Last modified May 31, 2016. ↩
In 1794, during Muhlenberg's second tenure as Speaker, the House voted 42–41 against a proposal to translate some of the new country's laws into German. Muhlenberg, who himself abstained from the vote, commented later that "the faster the Germans become Americans, the better it will be."8 Even though he never cast a vote against the translation bill, a legend developed in which Muhlenberg was responsible for preventing the adoption of German as an official language of the United States.8
According to another discredited legend, Muhlenberg also suggested that the title of the president of the United States should be "Mr. President," instead of "His High Mightiness" or "His Elected Majesty," as John Adams had suggested.9
Muhlenberg was president of the council of censors of Pennsylvania, and was appointed receiver general of the Pennsylvania Land Office on January 8, 1800, serving until his death in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on June 4, 1801.12
Personal life
On October 15, 1771, Muhlenberg married Catherine Schaeffer, the daughter of wealthy Philadelphia sugar refiner David Schaeffer. They had seven children.13
Minardi, Lisa. "Frederick Muhlenberg." In Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to the Present, vol. 1, edited by Marianne S. Wokeck. German Historical Institute. Last modified May 31, 2016. ↩