The Pledge of Allegiance is commonplace in most American schools today; I know, personally, my elementary school teachers required everyone to recite the Pledge in front of the classroom flag weekly. Despite its popularity, however, most people are still unaware of its somewhat controversial origin.
The Pledge of Allegiance was created in the late 1800s by Francis Bellamy as a few very general phrases that could be used to show allegiance to any country and any flag. It was merely “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, for which it stands,—one nation, indivisible—with liberty and justice for all.” Yet as the next wave of immigrants began to flood America in the late 19th century, they were reciting the same generic Pledge, causing Americans to think that they were pledging to their native countries. Thus, the Pledge was adapted to include American references. This subtle change in wording hinted at the underlying growth of nativism in America at the time and hostility towards immigrants. Though Bellamy believed that “the United States has always been a nation of immigrants,” he still argued that the “incoming waves of immigrants … [were] coming from countries whose institutions are entirely at variance with [his] own”. He feared that without something to unite all Americans, the country would lose its “white native-born Protestant American culture” that had founded the nation. Concurrently to the Pledge’s birth, nativist acts were passed, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Immigration Act of 1891. In his own words, Bellamy believed the Pledge should have been used to “mobilize the masses to support primary American doctrines,” essentially assimilating them to American culture.
In 1954, the Pledge of Allegiance was updated yet again to include one of the most controversial changes: the two words “under God.” The amendment sought to secure America from a “godless communism” that was much feared at the time while emphasizing America’s religious origin. Since 1954, numerous legal challenges have arisen against the religiousness's constitutionality, but none of them have been successful. In 2010, a federal appeals court ruled that reciting the Pledge is voluntary and that the Pledge was originally established to inspire patriotism, not religion.
Still, using recitations to promote nativism and patriotism are unfortunately common today. Numerous of President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign speeches involve him leading chants of “build that wall," referencing establishing a border wall to prevent immigration into the United States from Latin America. Though the Pledge of Allegiance today is not used to demean immigrants, its history serves as a reminder to always consider the origin of commonly accepted notions.
Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/11/03/the-ugly-
history-of-the-pledge-of-allegiance-and-why-it-matters/
https://www.thoughtco.com/pledge-of-allegiance-brief-history-3320198
Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/11/03/the-ugly-
history-of-the-pledge-of-allegiance-and-why-it-matters/
https://www.thoughtco.com/pledge-of-allegiance-brief-history-3320198
I found your blog very informative, and it was interesting to see the origins of "under God" in the pledge. I believe that during the same time that the practice of reciting the Pledge to promote nativism and patriotism became popular, so did the the custom of standing during the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner." Made by Francis Scott Key during the Civil War after the battle at Fort McHenry, "The Star Spangled Banner" carried a tune of patriotism and respect for the flag it described. Around the 19th Century, other songs such as "Yankee Doodle" and "Hail Columbia" also rose in popularity as songs promoting freedom and evoking feelings of patriotism. While designated as the national anthem by President Wilson in 1916, "The Star Spangled Banner" was officially declared the national anthem by Congress in 1931. It was first played at a sporting event during the baseball game between the Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, and has since then been a patriotic ritual. Nevertheless, some athletes have refused to participate in such a tradition and salute a flag that perpetuates racial injustices.
ReplyDeleteSource:
https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/the-star-spangled-banner
I found the topic of your post particularly interesting since the Pledge of Allegiance is well known throughout America, yet no one really talks about its origins. I never had saw the Pledge of Allegiance in negative or positive way, but after reading your post I see how it's past is not the greatest. I also was drawn towards your hook about how the pledge is popular in American school systems. The Pledge of Allegiance only became mandatory in schools in 1930, although by doing this one would think it raises American patriotism by instilling it in America's youth.
ReplyDeleteSource:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/11/03/the-ugly-history-of-the-pledge-of-allegiance-and-why-it-matters/
This was an excellent blog post that ties very well with what we are covering in class right now. It goes to show that religion still played a key role in American culture and the fear of immigrants continued well into the 20th century. I suppose at the time it would have made sense to make the pledge mandatory in order to boost patriotism. There have been numerous cases raised by many citizens but none of them have actually been successful at banning the pledge. The history behind many of these iconic songs and pledges is actually quite dark.
ReplyDeletehttps://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The_Pledge_of_Allegiance