"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."
These 31 words, seared into the American consciousness, on the lips of nearly every citizen, have come to define what America stands for. Apparently upholding the values of freedom and fairness for all, they are still recited in public institutions such as courts and councils across the land, almost 130 years since the Pledge's inception. In public schools,
it
is still a legal requirement in all but four states that regular pledge recitals are held.
But for some time now, it’s usage and relevancy has been hotly debated, with some arguing that it is empty of meaning and no longer fit for purpose, while others hold it up as a marker of respect; a patriotic symbol of all that makes America great. Whatever side of the debate you come down on, its history is a dubious one.
Because in actual fact, the Pledge of Allegiance started life as one fat big PR stunt - and there's a strong case to make that it's been used as one ever since.
You see, the man who penned those illustrious words, apparently within the space of just two hours, wasn’t a great statesman or national hero. No, he was a former minister-turned-marketing man, hired by a magazine to help create a buzz - and a tidy dollar or two - around the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' “discovery” of America.
His name was Francis Bellamy, and he was working for Youth’s Companion - a magazine aimed at children.
For some time, they had been running a sideline selling flags to schoolhouses, bolstering subscriptions in the process. In 1892, with Columbus’ anniversary, they spotted the potential to boost this little money-making scheme and swung into action, demanding a national flag-swearing ceremony occur in every school across the country.
The only problem? At that point, there was no national pledge. Enter Bellamy - and with the quick scribble of a pen, those words that would become so famous and so ingrained in national consciousness were born:
For good measure an arm-raise salute was added,
although, eerily reminiscent of "Heil Hitler", this was later changed to the now-accepted hand on the heart.
After pitching the idea at a school superintendents’ convention, the campaign was in motion - but of course, to read the words and take part in this act of patriotism sweeping the country, you’d have to buy the magazine first.
“It was both to get people to have flags, in keeping with their belief of patriotism, and then also to help their business,” Shelley Lapkoff, an expert on the Pledge told the Washington Post. She went on to explain how far-reaching the impact of Bellamy's campaign has been: “I believe the reason that flags are so predominant in our culture is because of the Pledge of Allegiance and this mass-marketing campaign that went on.”
But the truth is, the Pledge wasn’t even designed to be specific to the United States, with the original text reading "I pledge allegiance to
my
flag” so that the ploy could, at some point, be rolled out in any country.
did Bellamy's version feature the words "under God" which are now so controversial - perhaps surprising for a piece of text authored by an ordained minister. They were officially added in 1954, a reminder to the public of the virtuous nature of the United States, in contrast to the godless communism demonstrated by the Soviet Union. That the right to religious freedom is guaranteed under The First Amendment appears to be neither here nor there.
In January 2017, for example, Democratic State Representative in Missouri Bruce Franks Jr invoked the wrath of right-wing media when he stood with a raised fist, rather than placing his hand over his heart, during the recital ahead of legislative session.
Similarly, San Anselmo Town (CA) Councilman Ford Greene has attracted attention after he repeatedly took to his knees during the Pledge at meetings: "I couldn’t stand up there like a mindless good citizen or indoctrinated school child and act as though everything in my country is fine and it deserves my unbridled respect," he told the Marin Independent Journal. “But my own personal motivation,” he said, “is being able to say the Pledge of Allegiance with a straight face and not throw up.”