Did you know that prior to 1765, nearly the entire Isle of Man spoke Manx Gaelic as a first language? That all changed in 1765, when the Duke of Atholl enacted the Revestment Act, which effectively sold off the whole island to the British Crown. Shortly after, the Isle of Man's economy went into steep decline, and many inhabitants were forced to seek out new livelihoods in England and Wales. Eventually immigrants and tradesmen from England would replace the native Manx Gaelic speakers who emigrated off the island, and from then on forward the language would be completely replaced by English. The British also did the same thing in Scotland and Ireland, enacting deliberate laws that would seek to unravel much of the unique Celtic and Gaelic culture, with obviously the main goal being to create cultural continuity in that entire part of the world. Unfortunately it worked, as Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man speak English as a first tongue.
