History of The Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance should be recited by standing at attention, facing the flag, and saluting.

The Pledge was written to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage. The celebration plans resulted in Columbus Day being designated a holiday for the whole country by President Benjamin Harrison.

The original Pledge was written in August of 1882. The 23 words read as follows:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the republic For which it stands - one Nation indivisible - with liberty and justice for all.

A change was made to the Pledge in 1923. The original verse was changed from, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the republic. . ." to "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America."

In 1923, along with the word change, it was also decided that everyone should say the pledge with their right hands on their hearts. Then in 1954 Congress added "under God" to the Pledge. It was pointed out that Abraham Lincoln had called the United States "this nation under God" in "The Gettysburg Address."

In 1943 the Supreme Court of the United States decided that "No one - child or adult -- could be forced to say 'The Pledge of Allegiance. To force someone to say it was in opposition to "freedom and justice for all."

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As a schoolboy, one of Red Skelton's teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class. Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture. It is followed by an observation of his own.

I - - Me; an individual; a committee of one

Pledge - - Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity

Allegiance - - My love and my devotion.

To the Flag - - Our standard; Old Glory; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, Freedom is everybody's job.

United - - That means that we have all come together.

States - - Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.

And to the Republic - - Republic - a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

For which it stands

One Nation - - One Nation - meaning so blessed by God.

Indivisible - - Incapable of being divided.

With Liberty - - Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one's own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

And Justice - - The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.

For All - - For All - which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

And now, boys and girls, let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:

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.

Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God. Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer, and that would be eliminated from schools, too?

Red Skelton

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