E Pluribus Unum

From the Des Moines Register's Letters section:

Don't tell U.S. Rep. Steve King, but Spanish was once the official language of Iowa. Spain acquired the land that would become the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1763 and held it until 1800. It then reverted briefly to France before being sold to the United States in 1803.

Of course, well into the 19th century, most Iowa residents spoke languages other than the "official" one.

- Robert Nicholson, Des Moines.

Spanish was never the "official" language of Iowa at any time. That's a bullshit lie. It's not like Spainards (as opposed to Mexicans) came to Iowa in any significant numbers between 1763 and 1800. Most Europeans in the Iowa area west of the Mississippi during those years were French.

In fact, the main languages spoken in Iowa before Europeans arrived are categorized as Siouan, also known now as Siouan-Catawban, which encompasses the various dialects, tribal, and familial changes to the overall language.