We haven't always been 'one nation under God' . When Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892 it was quick and to the point: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Through the years this pledge of allegiance has gone through five official changes, finally ending up in 1954 with the version we know today that states we are 'one nation under God'. Much of this change had to do with the Cold War, and the United States wanting to differentiate itself from Communist state atheism, than it had to do with a belief that we were an historical nation founded 'under God'.
 |
| The Bellamy Salute c.1941 |
Even the salute underwent a change from the Bellemy Salute, which was deemed too close to Hitler's Nazi salute in the forties and changed to a more suitable one with the hand placed over the heart.
The Pledge of Allegiance is one of the first things that American school children learn to recite when they begin school.
Since the 1950's change to the pledge there have been many legal challenges which continue on today. One of the first challenges was brought by the Jehovah's Witnesses whose beliefs preclude swearing loyalty to any power other than a God, to today with challenges brought by atheists groups that the pledge is an infringement upon their rights.
It should be noted that various United States Court of Appeals have continued to uphold the words "under God".
 |
| Japanese ancestry First Graders |
| Official versions (changes in bold italics) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | |||||||||||
| "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." | |||||||||||
| 1892 to 1923 | |||||||||||
| "I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." | |||||||||||
| 1923 to 1924 | |||||||||||
| "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." | |||||||||||
| 1924 to 1954 | |||||||||||
| "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." | |||||||||||
| 1954 to Present | |||||||||||
| "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." |
VERY interesting...loved the post AND the kids in the pic are adorable (and how old now??) Never heard of the Bellamy salute. Think I'll go look it up and read some more...
ReplyDeleteMare
Hi Mare - those first graders would be mid to late 70's now. The salute was changed in 1942 and I started kindergarten in 1943, just missing the old Bellamy Salute. I racked my brain trying to see if I could remember if I ever saw that salute other than from the Nazi's. I can't come up with a memory of it. I should ask my girlfriend who is 91 if she remembers it.
ReplyDeleteBe sure to let us know if you speak to her...Don't remember ever hearing about saluting like that before unless there was a stigma to it because of the resemblance to the nazi salute..
ReplyDeleteHi Annie,
ReplyDeleteYour 91 year old friend does remember the Bellamy Salute. She did know it was called the Bellamy Salute. I love this history lesson. Thanks again.