Knowing History—The Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance is something I thought little about as I stood in my grammar school class each day repeating the phrase. My only thoughts were that my nation was something about which to take great pride. I feel no differently today. The only difference today is that I often have to seek out corrections to history as taught by our schools and perpetuated by the different political ideologies. The simple Pledge of Allegiance is one of those things.

Where did the pledge originate?

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist, Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped the pledge would be used by citizens in any country. Years after the Civil War had ended the nation was still divided. This was an attempt to bring the nation together under one flag.

The pledge in its original form:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

It was not until 1932 that the pledge was changed to specify the United States of America:

"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."

In 1954 President Eisenhower pushed congress to add 'under God' in response to the godless communist threat. This led to the pledge used today, and repeated by me in the first grade. I had lived most of my life never knowing the origins of the pledge I blindly repeated.

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."

Section 4 of the Flag Code states:

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: "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.", should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute."

Bellamy's salute, first described in 1892, began with the military salute at the beginning of the pledge. After citing the pledge the hand was to be extended up and outstretched toward the flag. We might better recognize the action as being similar to the Nazi salute. For this reason the salute was changed after World War II to simply place the right hand over the heart and maintaining it there until the pledge's end. For military the arm extension was eliminated.

From the Youth's Companion, 1892:

At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag. Another signal is given; every pupil gives the flag the military salute — right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it. Standing thus, all repeat together, slowly, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all." At the words, "to my Flag," the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, toward the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side.

We must know our history accurately and never blindly follow. We should proudly honor the flag and the things for which it stands. But we must know that the pledge as it stands today was originally written by a Utopian socialist and has evolved over the years for various reasons.

Today there is an ideological war waging between Marxist-socialists and free market, constitutional-libertarians. This war has been raging since the nation's inception. There are clear periods where the Marxist-socialists had a winning advantage. The first was in 1913 when the Federal Reserve came into existence—the second when Franklin D. Roosevelt led, and maintained, the Great Depression.

The 60's brought us the wars on drugs and poverty—both problems are worse than ever today. There is no period in history where we can find Marxist-socialist policies have worked. The outcome is always the same, abject poverty. Today Marxist-socialist go by a different name. Today we know them as progressives. Progressives maintain a seat in all of today's political parties.