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

[Iowa Granny]

I can't even expain what is going on in this one..

Well, I am happy to inform you that I happen to understand what it going on here: Candies is a brand of shoes. If you go back and look carefully, this nearly naked young thing has something that looks like the old style "Engineer Boots" (if you're younger than 55, you probably don't know what I'm talking about) on her feet. Apparently Candies is diversifying from the strappy sandals they've been marketing.

[Iowa Granny]

My 35 year old son just came into my office and saw these photos,,, he thought I was monitoring a porno site. I tried to explain, but I'm not certain he believed me.

My Grandchildren will be here later today. Please freepmail me when a new thread starts. I can't risk opening this site and risk having the children see it.

[lodwick]

Hilarious - thanks.

I think the shoe commercial has just about done
it for me. Any more, and we would have a porn
thread going on.

Prayers for Billy - and thanks for keeping it bumped.

[codebreaker]

Okay so Candies are the shoes, but the nuns in foreground and the cross in the background...

Is Ms. Lil' Kim unfairly 'being crucified' in the media for her lack of fashion sense?

[lodwick]

My word.

[codebreaker]

Is that a bamoo?

I can't tell..

[codebreaker]

The Star is also Choc full of mega dish:

Meg Ryan stalking Russell Crowe with 200 phone calls

Martha Stweart Collapses

Britney Piles on 15 lbs on junk food binge, stops lip synching words correctly at concerts after breakup with Justin Timerlake

Sarah Jessica Parker Miscarriage (sad)

Link

[Billie]

This is beautiful, Betty! Thank you for pinging me - thanks for the history and the wonderful flag graphics! I guess our money is next?! Total recall of everything that says "In God We Trust". Hmmmmmmmmmm?

[texasbluebell]

I can't really tell if Tom C. is wearing braces or just what is going on here. Or maybe he's practicing for a werewolf movie.

[texasbluebell]

Hmmm. Tomato wrestlers in Florida!

"The event is held to celebrate the area's tomato crop and to raise money for the American Cancer Society."

"By the end, the smell was rank. It was real hot and the tomatoes had been out all day and then squashed by the wrestlers."

(I can imagine...)

Tomato wrestlers

[SuziQ]

Re. your Post #60: Looks like Lil Kim bought herself some plastic bazooms! I guess she considered them an investment in her career.

[lodwick]

Tomato westling? That's not right.

[Teacup]

Good afternoon all.

Had a wonderful talk with BigWaveBetty yesterday. We had a good talk, and a good laugh. We shared some reciepies too. Yummy, That cucumber salad sounds good Betty.

Betty and I were discussing the lying with regards to El Loco Poco Dicko Gehbart. Apparently he went to Houston and lied to the Enron employees. Geesh!

We are all hanging in with regards to the grandson. Still praying he will come home soon. Monday is their first court hearing. I hope the father decides to show and hand the baby over.

Over here, we had a small birthday party for our grand daughter. She got a new swin suit and assorted little gifts. We also had an Ice cream cake, and grandma made chicken enchildas.

We had lots of rain, thunder and lighting, with some ower outages, but it was all over by 8PM.

[daisyscarlett]

Thanks for the update and thank you for being such a good grandma to those three darling kids in this very difficult time for all of you....Your granddaughter had a good party - umm...chicken enchiladas, sounds yummy. Now she is a teenager...I bet she is proud of that milestone.

Chin up, we luv ya lots...

[Teacup]

Oh yeah! She's a teen ager now. She has her moments, but grandpa talks to her pretty good and she settles down. Right now, grandma doesn't know anything, LOL,LOL,LOL.

She's starting to see that maybe grandma does know a few things. The boys are very funny. You mean swimming isn't considered a bath???? Oh gee, grandma!!! Very funny guys.

[lodwick]

Thanks for the good update.

Is BWB as hiarious on the phone
as she is on the keyboard? bbl

[mountaineer]

Still praying for the situation with Billy, of course. You sound like the bestest grandma! Chicken enchiladas sound wonderful, too. I bet you got the storm that blew through here yesterday afternoon - what a doozy, but the tomatoes appreciated it after a week of hot, hot, hot weather. I really ought to cut the grass. I think it's grown five inches since Wednesday. However, just having returned from the dentist, with my mouth still numb and jaw still achey, I'll let it slide till tomorrow. Perhaps I should just freep for the rest of the afternoon!

[Aggie Mama]

Darn it. I missed all the good stuff. I just got back from picking up my son from Vacation Bible School. They had a program at the end that I think was the longest 90 minutes of my life. My 19 month old decided that today was hit, scratch and bite day... The program went on and on. And of course, as were walking out, it decides to pour.

Needless to say, I was one grumpy Mama until I popped on here.