Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
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.
Pledge of Allegiance HistoryThe original Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. It was published on September 8, 1892 by The Youth's Companion Magazine in Boston Massachusetts and received wide publicity through the National Public Schools. The Pledge was first used to celebrate Columbus Day on October 12, 1892.In 1940 the Supreme Court ruled that schools could compel students to recite the Pledge. In 1943 the Supreme Court overturned that ruling and ruled that school children could not be forced to recite the Pledge as part of their school day routine. The Pledge was officially recognized by the US Congress in 1942. In 1954 the phrase "under God" was added to the text.
Today, the wording is set in the US Code, at 4USC4. It states that when the Pledge of Allegiance is delivered, all must be standing at attention, facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Also that men not in uniform should remove any nonreligious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder with the hand over the heart. Uniformed personnel should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute. An excellent site with lots of American Flag resources is USFlag.org.
The American's CreedI believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a Republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect Union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my Country to love it, to support its constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies.
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Pledge of Allegiance
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