The Pledge of Allegiance -- a history

Friends,

This 4th of July, this Blog has highlighted some historical facts that you may not have known.

The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag was first created in 1892 as celebratory remark used throughout public schools in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering the New World.  Since then, it has become a national oath of loyalty to the country, a motto of unity, and defense of the American way of life.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited daily by children in schools across America and gained heightened popularity among adults during the patriotic fervor created by World War II.  It was an unofficial pledge until June 22, 1942, when the United States Congress included the Pledge to the Flag in the United States Flag Code (Title 36).  This was the first official sanction given to the words that had been recited for almost 50 years.  One year after receiving this official sanction, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that schoolchildren count be forced to recite the Pledge as part of their routine.
In 1945, the Pledge to the Flag received its official title as:  The Pledge of Allegiance.

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the words "under God" in the Pledge in order to "differentiate the United States from the officially atheist Soviet Union."