Pledge of Allegiance

Lore & Background

The Pledge of Allegiance originated with Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union army officer in the Civil War, who wrote an early version in 1885 as part of a book on teaching patriotism to children in public schools. His pledge read: 'We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!' Balch's pledge was embraced by many schools, the Daughters of the American Revolution until the 1910s, and the Grand Army of the Republic until the 1923 National Flag Conference.

In 1892, Francis Bellamy, circulation manager for The Youth's Companion magazine, revised Balch's verse for a magazine promotion tied to the World's Columbian Exposition. Bellamy described Balch's pledge as 'too juvenile and lacking in dignity.' Bellamy's original pledge read: 'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.' He designed it to be recited in 15 seconds and initially considered using the words equality and fraternity but decided against it.

Bellamy helped persuade President Benjamin Harrison to institute Columbus Day as a national holiday and lobbied Congress for a national school celebration. The magazine sent leaflets containing part of Bellamy's pledge to schools, and on October 21, 1892, over 10,000 children recited the verse together. Bellamy's version, though his authorship is contested, is largely the same as the one formally adopted by Congress in 1942, with the official name adopted in 1945 and the words 'under God' added in 1954.

Reader's Guide

The Pledge of Allegiance holds significance as a standardized expression of loyalty to the United States, evolving from earlier patriotic oaths after the Civil War and during increased immigration in the 1880s. Its recitation became widespread in public schools, with all states except Nebraska, Hawaii, Vermont, and Wyoming requiring regular recitation, though many states provide exemptions. The Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that students cannot be compelled to recite the pledge nor punished for not doing so. Congressional sessions and many government meetings open with its recital. The current version, as specified in the U.S. Flag Code, includes the phrase 'under God' added in 1954. Historians note that surges in such pledges followed the Civil War and the 1880s immigration wave, reflecting efforts to instill national unity. The pledge's authorship remains contested between Francis Bellamy and James B. Upham, with a 1957 congressional report attributing it to Bellamy. Its legacy includes ongoing debates about compulsory recitation and the inclusion of religious language, but it remains a central patriotic ritual in American civic life.

Did You Know?

• The first version of the Pledge was written in 1885 by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union army officer in the Civil War.
• Francis Bellamy's version was first published in the September 8, 1892, issue of The Youth's Companion.
• The words 'under God' were added on Flag Day, June 14, 1954, by the 83rd United States Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• The Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that students cannot be compelled to recite the Pledge.