History of the Pledge of Allegiance

The document pictured on the left is the Pledge of Allegiance (c.1923), which hung in the original Brookfield High School, and is currently on display in the library.

The original Pledge of Allegiance was written in August of 1892 by Baptist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931) and published in The Youth’s Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy’s hope was that the Pledge would be used by citizens in any country.

In its original form, the Pledge read:

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

In 1923, the words “of the United States of America,” were added, so then it read:

“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.”

In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words “under God,” creating the current 31-word Pledge. Today it reads:

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United State of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”