I have long been fascinated by the fact that while my grandparents, parents and I all said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning before school, we all repeated different versions. The pledge was introduced in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Christian-Socialist minister working for a magazine called “The Youth’s Companion,” published by the Perry Mason Co.
Concerned that an influx of immigrants following the Civil War had led to a decline in patriotism, the magazine wanted to bolster national pride and increase circulation by encouraging children to save their pennies to buy a flag for their school and honor that new flag each morning. This patriotic display would coincide with the 400th anniversary of Columbus landing in America.
Bellamy’s original 23-word pledge, was short and simple: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” At the time, Bellamy considered adding the word “equality.” That word was rejected because it was considered too controversial in a time where a majority of the population, including women, were decidedly unequal.
That was essentially the pledge my grandparents would have said in school with the early addition of the word “to” before the words “the Republic.” Bellamy was fine with that change.
In 1924, the words “of the United States of America” were added. Bellamy did not like that change. He felt it detracted from the flow. In any event, that was the pledge my parents said. Both my grandparents and my parents would have saluted the flag using the Bellamy salute, the right arm extended outward and upward at a 45-degree angle, palm down. This salute was changed in 1943 during World War II, because it too closely resembled the Nazi salute.
In 1954, during the Eisenhower administration, at a time of strong anti-Communist sentiment and at the urging of the Knights of Columbus, the words “under God” were added. That was the pledge I said with my hand over my heart. That is the pledge that, despite political rhetoric to the contrary, most American school children still recite today. It is required in 46 of 50 states. The only states that do not are California, Hawaii, Vermont and Wyoming.
Of course, while schools are required to administer the pledge in most states, children are not required to recite it. That is because of the 1943 Supreme Court case, West Virginia v. Barnette. The court held that the very purpose of the Bill of Rights was to place certain rights like freedom of speech, “beyond the reach of majorities and officials …”
That opinion was written by Justice Robert H. Jackson and announced on Flag Day. Justice Jackson is perhaps better remembered as the chief prosecutor in the Nazi War Crimes Trial at Nuremburg after World War II. He was not a particularly effective prosecutor. Fortunately, the British sent someone better.
In addition to the national pledge, 17 states have their own flag pledge. Some, like Michigan’s, are sort of whimsical. The citizens of Alabama and Tennessee pledge their lives to the state flag. Mississippi requires the pledge to be taught to school children. And in Texas, every morning, public school children rise and pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag and then to the flag of the state of Texas, followed by one minute of silent prayer or meditation. Ten of the 11 states that seceded into the Confederacy have a state pledge. Florida is the only one that does not. I do not know why.
Scott A Grant is a local author and frequent contributor. He welcomes your comments at scottg@standfastic.com
