<P> The use of English in the United States is a result of British colonization of the Americas . The first wave of English - speaking settlers arrived in North America during the 17th century , followed by further migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries . Since then , American English has developed into new dialects , in some cases under the influence of West African and Native American languages , German , Dutch , Irish , Spanish , and other languages of successive waves of immigrants to the United States . </P>
where does the american english language come from
British colonization of the Americas 17th century