The Guild 6-27-2002 The History of Our Pledge of Allegiance

6-27-2002

[BigWaveBetty]

The Pledge of Allegiance

On September 8, 1892 a Boston-based youth magazine "The Youth's Companion" published a 22-word recitation for school children to use during planned activities the following month to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. Under the title "The Pledge to the Flag", the composition was the earliest version of what we now know as the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

The October 11, 1892 Columbus Day celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the discovery of America was planned for years in advance, and anticipated much as modern Americans look forward to and plan for the advent of a new century. The United States had recovered from most of the effects of its Civil War that began 30 years earlier, and people from around the world were flocking to the "Land of Opportunity". The previous year almost a half million immigrants had entered the United States through the Barge Office in Battery Park, New York and on New Years day of 1892 the new Federal Bureau of Receiving's station at Ellis Island had opened.

Two men interested in both education and planned Columbus Day celebrations around our Nation's 44 states were Francis Bellamy and James Upham. To this day it is still unknown which of the two men actually authored the words that were to become the Pledge of Allegiance. It was published anonymously and not copyrighted. James Upham was an employee of the Boston publishing firm that produced "The Youth's Companion" in which it first appeared. Francis Bellamy was an educator who served as chairman of the National committee of educators and civic leaders who were planning the Columbus Day activities. What we do know for certain is that the words first appeared in the September 8, 1892 issue of "The Youth's Companion", and a month later more than 12 million school children recited the words for the first time in schools across the nation. Our Pledge of Allegiance was born, but like anything new, it took many years to "reach maturity", and underwent several changes along the way. That first Pledge of Allegiance read:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

October 11, 1892

After the Columbus Day celebration the Pledge to the Flag became a popular daily routine in America's public schools, but gained little attention elsewhere for almost 25 years. Finally, on Flag Day - June 14, 1923, the Pledge received major attention from adults who had gathered for the first National Flag Conference in Washington, D.C. Here their Conference agenda took note of the wording in the Pledge. There was concern that, with the number of immigrants now living in the United States, there might be some confusion when the words "My Flag" were recited. To correct this the pledge was altered to read:

I pledge allegiance to my the
Flag of the United States,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

June 14, 1923

The following year the wording was changed again to read:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

June 14, 1924

The Pledge of Allegiance continued to be recited daily by children in schools across America, and gained heightened popularity among adults during the patriotic fervor created by World War II. It still was an "unofficial" pledge until June 22, 1942 when the United States Congress included the Pledge to the Flag in the United States Flag Code (Title 36). This was the first Official sanction given to the words that had been recited each day by children for almost fifty years. One year after receiving this official sanction, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite the Pledge as part of their daily routine. In 1945 the Pledge to the Flag received its official title as:

The Pledge of Allegiance

The last change in the Pledge of Allegiance occurred on June 14 (Flag Day), 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved adding the words "under God". As he authorized this change he said:

"In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

This was the last change made to the Pledge of Allegiance. The 23 words what had been initially penned for a Columbus Day celebration now comprised a Thirty-one profession of loyalty and devotion to not only a flag, but to a way of life....the American ideal. Those words now read:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

June 14, 1954

The Pledge of Allegiance
by Red Skelton
January 14, 1969

Click the flag to hear Red Skelton's entire speech.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution

Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

ALL PREVIOUS THREADS

[Teacup]

My tomatos and cucumbers love all the rain. I think the cucumbers have grown an ich over night.

Sorry to hear about your teeth. Take some tylenol and come freep.

I love my grandkids. They keep us on our toes. Yesterday we went to the store to buy the cake. Some guys kept giving me the eye. I told the grand daughter to say, "Grandma, the cakes are over here." LOL,LOL, The guy was all confused. Some poor guy who looked like he was 20 years old, HA! We had fun.

[lodwick]

You'll be right after a few minutes with FR.
Sorry about the extended program - 90 minutes,
with little kids? Sounds almost Baptist.

[daisyscarlett]

Does BWB have a Southern drawl?

[daisyscarlett]

Oh goody...yes, do spend the rest of the day freeping....find us some goodies ...we do need to keep up, you know.

[lodwick]

Where is everyone?
I still have not gone to to my list!

Pitiful - but FReeping is much more rewarding.
Except when you need something to eat and find the larder bare.

I am outta here for a short.

Thanks so much for everyone that keeps Bumping for Billy.

[lodwick]

to to? to do?

[retrokitten]

Thanks for the update on Billy, Teacup! I am still praying for his safe return.

It looks like I missed all the good stuff, too! What got pulled?

I am happy to report that I am still employeed with Worldcom for the time being and I am going to go out and treat myself to a present this weekend. Nothing to flamboyant, but a treat none the less. You know why? Because in two weeks I will get paid again!!

[mountaineer]

Sorry, ds, I don't seem to be able to find any good scoop. As it turns out, I'll have to take a break in order to bake some scones for someone who just moved to town, so the freeping will be on hold for a while.

rk - the other day I posted some campaign contribution info ( here and a post or two prior) regarding some of the big cheeses at your company. What do you think? Why were they greasing the palms of former Sen. Kerrey and Sen. Leahy?

[mountaineer]

Oh, forgot to add that Lloyd Groves of the WashComPost has his knickers in a twist over reports of two girls who may have been Jenna and Barbara Bush smoking and drinking!!! thread here

[retrokitten]

I can't speculate too much, because I am using thier computer. LOL! I will say this, I find it totally ironic that Worlcom headquarters is in Clinton, MS.

I just found out that they are not done with layoffs in our center yet, so I may have to hold off on my personal celebration for a couple of weeks. Oh well. Such is life, I guess. I will say it again, if my # comes up it just means life has something better for me. I know that I don't have to tell anyone here that God provides and as long as I put my faith and trust in Him there is no way I cannot come out on top!

[lodwick]

Afternoon rk - it would appear that some of codebreaker's Lil Kim, et al, and my Foxy Brown pics were not as widely or widly appreciated as cb and I thought they would be.

I wonder if they snatched my asset manager also?

[JudyB1938]

Codebreaker ... No current FReeper by that name.

[lodwick]

Yep. Got my banker also.

[lodwick]

Registered's latest

Fetch me a brew, SugarLumpkins.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[mountaineer]

What's up with that? Just because of the photos of the tacky Lil Kim (or whatever her name is)?

[JudyB1938]

Not sure, but I do know he acted up on another thread (which got deleted).

[mountaineer]

The account of GWB's visit to Shanghai is very moving. If anyone gets Sports Illustrated, please read Steve Rushin's column in the current issue (I can't give you the date, as my husband seems to have taken our copy to his father already) about his visit to the Oval Office and observations of GWB - a regular guy with a ton of responsbility on his shoulders, whose fondest memories include seeing one of the twins score her first soccer goal.

He speaks wistfully of his pre-White House days, when he was "free." It's really a touching article, not condescending nor critical. I'd quote some of it but, as noted, our copy is no longer around, and it's not posted on the SI web site.

[retrokitten]

No way! I loved codebreaker! Now we are going to have to find our own gossip, I guess.

Okay, Guild, I need a little help. I promised my friend I would send her the "GQ" picture of GWB and I am having a hard time finding it. It anyone can help me out I would appreciate it.

[retrokitten]

Nevermind! I found it!