Where is the pledge of allegiance written

While the Barnette ruling marked an important turning point in the pledge debate, the political controversy surrounding forced recitation of the pledge in public schools was just beginning. These competing worldviews revealed a distinct divide in how Democrats and Republicans saw the future of the country. Although individual students were no longer legally obligated to recite it after the Barnette ruling, refusing to do so could still result in criticism and being ostracized, which was one of the main concerns of Democratic opponents of pledge mandates.

For many conservative lawmakers — and some Democrats — the pledge was a patriotic litmus test. To recite it was to pledge unity and loyalty to the flag and country, and refusing to do so was considered unpatriotic and un-American. In , the Minnesota legislature passed a law requiring students to recite the pledge. Lawmakers rejected proposed amendments to provide an array of options, including civic education programs, that could offer students a better understanding of the government and U.

It was first given wide publicity through the official program of the National Public Schools Celebration of Columbus Day, which was printed in The Youth's Companion of September 8, , and at the same time sent out in leaflet form to schools throughout the country.

School children first recited the Pledge of Allegiance this way:. No form of the Pledge received official recognition by Congress until June 22, , when the Pledge was formally included in the U.

Today, 46 states require public schools to make time for the pledge—just Vermont, Iowa, Wyoming and Hawaii do not. Senate and House of Representatives. And hundreds of thousands of newly minted citizens pledge allegiance each year during the U. To this day, it is still unknown which of the two men actually authored the words that were to become the Pledge of Allegiance. It was published anonymously and was not copyrighted.

James Upham was an employee of the Boston publishing firm that produced "The Youth's Companion" in which it first appeared. Francis Bellamy was an educator who served as chairman of the national committee of educators and civic leaders who were planning the Columbus Day activities. What we know for certain is that the words first appeared in the September 8, issue of "The Youth's Companion", and a month later more than 12 million school children recited the words for the first time in schools across the nation.

Our Pledge of Allegiance was born, but like anything new, it took many years to reach maturity and underwent several changes along the way. The original Pledge was written as:. I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.