The history of the Pledge of Allegiance took another important turn on June 14, 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation adding two familiar words: “under God.” The change came on Flag Day and marked the final revision to the pledge Americans still recite today.
How It All Began
As a child, I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance every day at school. (And that picture above is NOT me in grade school!)
The pledge has actually been around much longer than most people realize.
An early pledge to the American flag was written by Colonel George Balch in the 1880s. However, the version that eventually became our national pledge was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892 for a celebration involving schoolchildren across the country.
Congress formally recognized the pledge in 1942, and its official name, the Pledge of Allegiance, was adopted in 1945.
Changes Through the Years
One interesting aspect of the history of the Pledge of Allegiance is how its wording has evolved to reflect different periods in American history. The wording has undergone several changes throughout its history.
- 1892: Francis Bellamy’s original pledge referred simply to “my Flag.”
- 1923–1924: The wording was changed to specify the flag of the United States of America.
- 1942: Congress formally incorporated the pledge into the U.S. Flag Code.
- 1945: The official name became the Pledge of Allegiance.
- 1954: President Eisenhower signed legislation adding “under God” after “one Nation.”
The 1954 change came during the Cold War, when American leaders emphasized the nation’s religious traditions in contrast to the officially atheistic Soviet Union.
You can read more about these changes through the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
But What Do Those Words Really Mean?
As a child, I don’t think many of us really understood the words or the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.
It was just something we memorized and recited in unison every morning while looking at the American flag with our right hands over our hearts.
Several years ago, while doing a midday talk show at WOOD Radio, a sketch by comedian Red Skelton was brought to my attention.
In this segment from his television show, Skelton recalled an elementary school teacher who broke down the pledge word by word and explained what each part meant.
He also talked about the addition of the words “under God.”
It wasn’t until I heard that segment that I think I truly understood what the Pledge of Allegiance stood for.
Red Skelton’s Memorable Explanation
Here is the video of Red Skelton sharing his teacher’s explanation of the pledge.
It’s a remarkable explanation, and one that has stayed with me ever since I first heard it.
If only every American could take a few minutes to watch this video and think about the meaning behind those familiar words.
Sometimes the things we repeat every day are the very things we rarely stop to think about.
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