"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
-Originally published wording from September 8, 1892
In the early 1890s, a national committee of educators and civic leaders planned a public school celebration of Columbus Day, centering around the flag, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Europeans landing in America. Consequently, a pledge of Americans' loyalty to their country was composed & it was first recited by schoolchildren in October 1892. Probably due to the facts that it was published anonymously in The Youth's Companion, in accordance with the magazine's policy & that it was not copyrighted, controversy regarding its author arose in ensuing years. Two different men had been considered likely to have penned the pledge. James Upham (1845-1905), an ardent promoter of the pledge, worked for the publishing firm that produced the magazine. Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a strong, colorful, charismatic American clergyman & editor, was the chairman of the aforementioned civic/educational committee who also happened to work for the youth magazine. In 1939, a committee of 3 university professors was convened to review the matter & they determined that the author of the pledge had been Bellamy. There have been a number of changes to the original wording of the pledge over the years. In 1923, so that some foreign-born people might concentrate on the image of U.S. flag, instead of the flag of the country of their birth, the words "my Flag" were changed to "the flag." In 1924, "of America" was added after "United States." Congress officially recognized the pledge on June 22, 1942, when it was formally included in the U.S. Flag Code. During that same year, in order to curtail the so-called "Bellamy salute" (in which the hand faced outward & the arm extended out from the body) that many thought too-closely resembled a Nazi gesture, Congress established the current practice of rendering the pledge with the right hand placed flat over the heart. Section 7 of the Federal Flag Code specifies that when not in military uniform, men are expected to remove head coverings with their right hands and hold them at the left shoulder, while uniformed military men should remain silent, face the flag & render a military salute. Its official name, "The Pledge of Allegiance," was adopted in 1945. The final revision to the pledge occurred on Flag Day in June of 1954 when Congress passed a law that added the words "under God" after "one nation." Any future changes to our current, 31-word pledge, according to the Flag Code, would have to be enacted with the consent of the President.
This color coordinated collection of fashion fabrics was first featured in our Vogue Fabrics By Mail Summer 2011 catalog of swatches. Subscribe to receive home delivery of these catalogs every other month.
-Originally published wording from September 8, 1892
In the early 1890s, a national committee of educators and civic leaders planned a public school celebration of Columbus Day, centering around the flag, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Europeans landing in America. Consequently, a pledge of Americans' loyalty to their country was composed & it was first recited by schoolchildren in October 1892. Probably due to the facts that it was published anonymously in The Youth's Companion, in accordance with the magazine's policy & that it was not copyrighted, controversy regarding its author arose in ensuing years. Two different men had been considered likely to have penned the pledge. James Upham (1845-1905), an ardent promoter of the pledge, worked for the publishing firm that produced the magazine. Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a strong, colorful, charismatic American clergyman & editor, was the chairman of the aforementioned civic/educational committee who also happened to work for the youth magazine. In 1939, a committee of 3 university professors was convened to review the matter & they determined that the author of the pledge had been Bellamy. There have been a number of changes to the original wording of the pledge over the years. In 1923, so that some foreign-born people might concentrate on the image of U.S. flag, instead of the flag of the country of their birth, the words "my Flag" were changed to "the flag." In 1924, "of America" was added after "United States." Congress officially recognized the pledge on June 22, 1942, when it was formally included in the U.S. Flag Code. During that same year, in order to curtail the so-called "Bellamy salute" (in which the hand faced outward & the arm extended out from the body) that many thought too-closely resembled a Nazi gesture, Congress established the current practice of rendering the pledge with the right hand placed flat over the heart. Section 7 of the Federal Flag Code specifies that when not in military uniform, men are expected to remove head coverings with their right hands and hold them at the left shoulder, while uniformed military men should remain silent, face the flag & render a military salute. Its official name, "The Pledge of Allegiance," was adopted in 1945. The final revision to the pledge occurred on Flag Day in June of 1954 when Congress passed a law that added the words "under God" after "one nation." Any future changes to our current, 31-word pledge, according to the Flag Code, would have to be enacted with the consent of the President.
This color coordinated collection of fashion fabrics was first featured in our Vogue Fabrics By Mail Summer 2011 catalog of swatches. Subscribe to receive home delivery of these catalogs every other month.
