Changes

Jul 24, 2023 08:35 AM

In 1906, The Daughters of the American Revolution's magazine, The American Monthly, used the following wording for the pledge of allegiance, based on Balch's Pledge:

I pledge allegiance to my flag, and the republic for which it stands. I pledge my head and my heart to God and my country. One country, one language and one flag.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance#cite_note-:1-23" >[23]</a>

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In subsequent publications of the Daughters of the American Revolution, such as in 1915's "Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Continental Congress of the Daughters of the American Revolution" and 1916's annual "National Report," the previous pledge (adjusted to read "I pledge my head, my hand, my heart..."), listed as official in 1906, is now categorized as "Old Pledge" with Bellamy's version under the heading "New Pledge."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance#cite_note-33" >[33]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance#cite_note-34" >[34]</a> The "Old Pledge" was still taken in other organizations until the National Flag Conference established uniform flag procedures in 1923.

In 1923, the National Flag Conference called for the words "my Flag" to be changed to "the Flag of the United States," so that new immigrants would not confuse loyalties between their birth countries and the US. The words "of America" were added a year later. Congress officially recognized the Pledge for the first time, in the following form, on June 22, 1942:<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance#cite_note-PL_77-623-35" >[35]</a>

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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