Pledge of Allegiance

[The original Pledge of Allegiance was written for the September 1892 issue of "The Youth's Companion", a Boston magazine, by Francis Bellamy. The phrase was printed on leaflets and sent to schools throughout the United States so that twelve million pupils could recite it on 12 October in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage. An authorship controversy arose, with claims being made on behalf of both James B. Upham, an editors, and Francis Bellamy, an assistant editor of "The Youth's Companion". In 1939, a committee of the U.S. Flag Association ruled in favor of Bellamy; and a detailed report issued by the U.S. Library of Congress in 1957 supported the committee's ruling. In 1923, the first National Flag Conference voted to change the words "my flag" to "the Flag of the United States of America". The Pledge was officially recognized by Congress as an Act (4USC4), approved on 22 June 1942; but in 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that public school students could not be compelled to recite it. The phrase "under God" was added to the Pledge by a Congressional act, approved on 14 June 1954 (Flag Day). At the time, President Eisenhower stated: "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."]

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.

I pledge allegiance to my flag
and the Republic for which it stands
— One nation indivisible —
with liberty and justice for all.
by Francis Bellamy, "The Youth's Companion" (September 1892)