The Development of an American Language is a long and interesting account of the preservation as well as the change and development of a living language, and the aim of this essay is to examine for some extent several elements related to the factors that brought English to America and the characteristics of American English that subsequently developed, with several sections focusing on the history of the arrival of the English language in America, the definitions of what British English (BrE) and American English (AmE) are, and finally three specific areas of discussion, namely the phonological, lexical and syntactic characteristics of American English. The English language was introduced to America by English settlers who began arriving in America after Sir Walter Raleigh claimed America for England in 1584. However, the majority of English movements to America, which this really cannot be called immigration as they were not going to another country, but simply to another place within the British Empire, occurred in the 17th century after the establishment of Jamestown, the first English colony in America. Wikipedia (2013) informs us that after the first wave of settlers in 1587, the next major wave arrived in 1620 in the form of Pilgrims, later known as Puritans for their particularly strict beliefs in doctrinal purity and practical. Puritans were fleeing England for religious reasons and the following decades saw many more of them settling around the Greater Massachusetts area until around 1660, after which England began to strongly discourage migration to the America. What remained of the migration finally ended in 1775, when revolutionary violence broke out in America. There were two large colonies of English speakers in these...... middle of paper ...... only, for example analog, catalog and dialogue become analog, catalog and dialogue. Some more unique examples include check (BrE) and check (AmE), jewelry (BrE) and jewelry (AmE) and program (BrE) and program (AmE). Contrary to what early critics of the American English language said, American English is not an offensive offshoot of real English, but has over the centuries left its own mark on the world of language and communication, and is also on the verge, at this point in human history, of slowly becoming the leading dialect of English in the world. due to the American-centric technological and communication advancements made over the past few decades. We hope that this essay has provided just a glimpse not only of what American English has become, but also of what it can still become if America remains a social, cultural, and technological leader in the years to come..