There are many differences between American and British English (e.g., “cheers mate” instead of “thanks dude,” “chips” instead of “fries,” and “boot” instead of “trunk”). We have some different phrases, expletives, and names for everyday things. A lot of these differences are the product of culture, but other differences—like spelling—are the product of language planning (a.k.a. studious old men with spectacles on the tips of their noses sitting down and deciding what’s correct and what isn’t).
But our story begins in a much bloodier setting than a linguist’s office. We begin with the Revolutionary War, where the American colonies separated from Great Britain. After many battles and frigid winters, the colonists won and became the United States of America. They immediately began drafting the Articles of Confederation and later, the Constitution. These documents dictated the way the government would be run and were vastly different from any other government system at the time—especially the monarchy of Great Britain. The Americans were set on proving how much different, and better, they were from the British.
Now we move into a cozy office with men in tweed and ink stains on their hands. In 1806, American lexicographer Noah Webster published A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. It was a hit, believe it or not. This dictionary was one of the first purely American dictionaries, and it reinforced the differences between the USA and Great Britain in the form of written language. The dictionary supported what were beginning to be seen as “American” spellings of words like center instead of centre and color instead of colour.
Now, it’s important to remember that both forms were used in both varieties of English, but over time, each country began to pick its favorites, and this dictionary (and subsequent dictionaries) confirmed these differences—especially as British dictionaries kept their re’s and ou’s.
So, if it weren’t for some particularly patriotic lexicographers, would we Americans be telling each other our “favourite colours,” or would we have dropped those u’s another way? We may never know, but we do know we can thank Noah Webster for America’s superior spellings.