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The Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892 for a patriotic program celebrating Columbus Day. It became popular in schools and by 1942, some public schools made it compulsory. The pledge has undergone changes over the years, but as of 2015, 46 U.S. states require public schools to make time for its recitation.
According to a 2013 telephone survey of 1,000 adults, 68 percent of respondents said they believed American schoolchildren should say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. But how was it possible to recite the oath in schools? The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, the son of a Baptist pastor. Bellamy worked in the promotions department of a family magazine called Youth’s Companion. One of his tasks was to prepare a patriotic program to help schools celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. This went hand in hand with a marketing campaign in which readers who sold subscriptions to the magazine would receive an American flag. The youth companion decided to include a “flag salute” as part of the Columbus Day celebrations. Francis Bellamy took the job, and his efforts led to the Pledge of Allegiance. Francis Bellamy’s original 1892 oath was as follows: “I swear allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice in all.” The pledge was first recited by schoolchildren at Columbus Day ceremonies in 1892. After some lobbying and endorsements, the pledge began to be recited regularly in schools, and by 1942, some public schools had made it compulsory. The current form of the pledge is the result of several changes that have occurred over many decades. Although the making of the pledge and the obligation to recite it continue to be controversial topics, the pledge has maintained its popularity over the years. As of 2015, 46 U.S. states require their public schools to make time for pledge recitation.
Learn more about the Pledge of Allegiance:
In the 1920s, the phrase “the flag of the United States of America” was added to the oath of allegiance.
The words “under God” were added to the pledge in 1954 in response to the perceived threat of communism during the Cold War.
Initially, the children recited the Pledge of Allegiance with a military salute to the flag. However, during World War II, the flag salute was compared to performing the Nazi salute and this was completely removed. Instead, the students recited the pledge with their right hand over their heart.
