Most of us memorized the Pledge of Allegiance back in kindergarten, but do any of us really know the true origins of it? Today is Pledge of Allegiance Day- did you know…
- The first American pledge of allegiance (different from the one we recite today) was written by Captain George Thatcher Balch during the Civil War. It goes:
“We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!”
- The pledge we all know today was based on one written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. It goes:
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”
- Congress formally adopted Bellamy’s pledge in 1942, and added the words “Under God” in 1954.
These American flag tally books are a daily reminder of our love for our country: