I
pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
How the words "UNDER
GOD" came to be added to the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
The
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States originated
on Columbus Day, 1893. It contained no reference to Almighty
God, until in New York City on April 22, 1951, the Board of
Directors of the Knights of Columbus adopted a resolution to
amend the Pledge of Allegiance as recited at the opening of each
of the meetings of the 800 Fourth Degree Assemblies of the
Knights of Columbus by addition of the words "under God" after
the words "one nation." The adoption of this resolve by the
Supreme Board of Directors had the effect of immediate
initiation of this practice throughout the aforesaid Fourth
Degree Assembly meetings.
At
their annual State meetings, held in April and May of 1952, the
State Councils of Florida, South Dakota, New York and Michigan
adopted resolutions recommending that the Pledge of Allegiance
be so amended and that Congress be petitioned to have such an
amendment made effective.
On
August 21, 1952, the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus
at its annual meeting adopted a resolution urging that the
change be made general and copies of this resolution were sent
to the President, the Vice President (as Presiding Officer of
the Senate) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The
National Fraternal Congress meeting in Boston on September 24,
1952, adopted a similar resolution upon the recommendation of
its President, Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart. Several State
Fraternal Congresses acted likewise almost immediately
thereafter.
At
its annual meeting the following year, on August 20, 1953, the
Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus repeated its
resolution to make the amendment to the Pledge of Allegiance to
the Flag general and to send copies of this resolve to the
President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, and to each
member of both Houses of Congress. From this latter action, many
favorable replies were received, and a total of seventeen
resolutions were introduced into the House of Representatives to
so amend the Pledge of Allegiance as set forth in Public Law
relating to the Flag. The resolution introduced by Congressman
Louis C. Rabaut of Michigan was adopted by both Houses of
Congress, and it was signed by President Eisenhower on Flag Day,
June 14, 1954, thereby making the official amendment conceived,
sponsored and put into practice by the Knights of Columbus more
than three years before.
In
a message to Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart at the meeting of the
Supreme Council in Louisville, August 17, 1954, President
Eisenhower, in recognition of the initiative of the Knights of
Columbus in originating and sponsoring the amendment to the
Pledge of Allegiance, said:
"We are particularly
thankful to you for your part in the movement to have the words
'under God' added to our Pledge of Allegiance. These words will
remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we
must remain humble. They will help us to keep constantly in our
minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone
give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded.
For the contribution which your organization has made to this
cause, we must be genuinely grateful."
In
August 1954, the Illinois American Legion Convention adopted a
resolution whereby recognition was given to the Knights of
Columbus as having initiated, sponsored and brought about the
amendment to the Pledge of Allegiance; and on October 6, 1954,
the National Executive Committee of the American Legion
gave its approval to that resolution.
