The Pledge of Allegiance is a short speech recited in the United States, often in public schools and at public events. It was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, but the phrase “under God” was added in 1954. Some argue that it violates the First Amendment’s separation of church and state.
The Pledge of Allegiance is a short speech that reads: “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.” In the United States, it is often performed at public events and is commonly performed in public schools, especially elementary schools. To recite it, school children should stand facing the American flag with their right hand over their heart.
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by a Baptist minister and socialist author named Francis Bellamy. Bellamy wrote the pledge as part of an ad campaign for a magazine called Youth’s Companion, as a way to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to America. Bellamy’s original text, however, did not include any references to God.
The inclusion of the phrase “under God” was inspired by a Catholic group called the Knights of Columbus, who added the phrase to their recitals in 1951, and attempted to make it a formal part of the pledge. However, the Pledge of Allegiance was not officially changed to include the phrase until 1954 when Minister George Docherty delivered a sermon about it while President Eisenhower was in attendance. Docherty and Eisenhower spoke after the sermon, and Eisenhower introduced legislation to change the Pledge of Allegiance the next day. Since that time, “under God” has been officially recognized as part of the text.
However, many people dispute the granting of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. They argue that because the pledge is recited in public schools and at public events, it breaks the First Amendment’s claim of separation of church and state. In 2002, a case was brought to the Supreme Court by Michael Newdow, an atheist who didn’t want his daughter to recite the words “under God” in his class. However, the Supreme Court ultimately held that Newdow had no right to take the case to trial because he was divorced and not the primary custody parent. Because of this, they did not have to pass judgment as to whether it represented a violation of the First Amendment.
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