Pledge of Allegiance

Beloved oath first recited in schools 129 years ago today

Back in 1892, James B. Upham was working for a magazine called “The Youth’s Companion.” He was in charge of a campaign to have schoolchildren participate in a flag ceremony to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of America. The magazine was promoting patriotism — as well as magazine subscriptions and the sale of flags to schools.

But what kind of flag ceremony?

Upham turned to a co-worker at the magazine named Francis Bellamy. Bellamy was a man of many talents and many interests. In addition to being writer and editor, he was also a Baptist minister — and a socialist.

Bellamy came up with an oath — a pledge of allegiance to the flag. It read:

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

Bellamy designed the pledge to be recited in no more than 15 seconds.

The pledge was first published Sept. 8 issue of “The Youth’s Companion.” But it didn’t really get much exposure until October 12, 1892 — 129 years ago today — when school students across the country first recited it as part of the Columbus anniversary celebration. The date was chosen to coincide with the opening of the Chicago World’s Fair, which also had taken Columbus’ voyage as its theme.

Upham had built up some powerful backers of the pledge — it was used in the nationwide observance by presidential proclamation. But the pledge was still lower case back then

It wasn’t until 1942 that the pledge was adopted by Congress as a national oath and became the Pledge of Allegiance, in a slightly altered form:

“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.”

The Pledge would be change once more, in 1954, when the word “under God” were added.

Today, some are critical of the Pledge. They don’t want it in schools. They claim it is coercive — especially the “under God” part.

But thankfully the courts have sided with the pledge.

Right now, the Pledge can be recited in schools that choose to do so just as loudly and as clearly as it was back in 1892. Let’s hope we can say the same for years and years to come.