Pledge of Allegiance

History of the Pledge of Allegiance

On September 8, 1892, the Boston-based “The Youth’s Companion” magazine published a few words written by Francis Bellamy for students to repeat on Columbus Day that year. At the first National Flag Conference in Washington D.C., on June 14, 1923, a change was made. For clarity, the words “the Flag of the United States” replaced “my flag”.

It was not until 1942 that Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. One year later, in June 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite it. In fact, today only half of our fifty states have laws that encourage the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom!

In June of 1954 an amendment was made to add the words “under God”. Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower said “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.”

On July 19, 2006, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley signed into law (Session Law 2006-137) Senate Bill 700 which REQUIRES. . . “Daily Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and Teaching of the meaning of the American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance in the schools of North Carolina.”