Pledge of Allegiance

pledge

It is generally accecpted that "The Pledge of Allegiance" was first written in August 1892 by Reverend Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). "The Bellamy 'Pledge of Allegiance' was first published in the September 8, 1892, issue of The Youth's Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. The event was conceived and promoted by James B. Upham, a marketer for the magazine, as a campaign to instill the idea of American nationalism in students and to encourage children to raise flags above their schools." -- (quoted from Wikipedia)

Since the time of Red Skelton's boyhood, two states (Alaska and Hawaii) have been added to our nation, and the two words, under God, were added in 1954 to the original Pledge of Allegiance.

From The Red Skelton Hour, CBS TV, January 14, 1969
Red Skelton's "Pledge of Allegiance"

Printable PDF of Red Skelton's "Pledge of Allegiance"