How the Pledge of Allegiance came from a PR Gimmick in 1892
When I was 6 this is what I thought I was saying: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and under the Elephant for which it stands". I wondered at the time why it was under an elephant?
Often I remember back and laugh about this because I was just a little kid, you know. And then in church they would sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" while we marched into church when I was 6 in 1954 and we would hold little American Flags and after they sang as we marched in, we would all say together, the Pledge of Allegiance while facing the American Flag there in church.
Then we would go to public School and learn to hide under our desks because we all expected to die soon from nukes. We expected the whole world to be gone soon the way it was in the 1950s. This was just the way it was that we lived with then. So, church was important to prepare for death then for everyone, children included.
I can't get this html page to copy so if you want to read the whole article please click on the word button in the next line:
How the Pledge of Allegiance Went From PRGimmick to PatrioticVow Francis Bellamy had no idea how famous, and controversial, his quick ditty would become
On the morning of October 21, 1892, children at schools across
the country rose to their feet, faced a newly installed American flag
and, for the first time, recited 23 words written by a man that few
people today can name. “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the
Republic for which it stands—one nation indivisible—with liberty and
justice for all.”
From This Story
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/pledge-allegiance-pr-gimmick-patriotic-vow-180956332/#tqJMRVzgyyGvCJmw.99 Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter
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