The history of the education of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students is long, rich, complex, and shaped by conflict. The central conflict—which has endured for about 250 years—concerns whether manual/sign language or oral language is to be preferred as the mode of instruction. The conflict encompasses significant topics, including technological innovations (most significantly, hearing aids and cochlear implants), inclusive versus special education, and the protection of minority languages and cultures as a matter of human rights. While the initial development of DHH education was embedded in Enlightenment ideas, it has been impacted and threatened by different ideas and movements over the years, including nationalist movements propounding cultural and linguistic unity, and eugenics movements. In this chapter, the main topics of the history of DHH education are introduced and discussed, starting with the event of the first school for the deaf in Paris in 1755.