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Pledge of Allegiance

Civics, History, and Government

Woman Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
Woman Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise of allegiance to the United States. Allegiance means loyalty.

Groups recite the Pledge of Allegiance in unison at the start of public events like school assemblies and naturalization ceremonies.

Students in some public or private classrooms say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning.

Words: 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.



Copy of the Pledge of Allegiance
Copy of the Pledge of Allegiance

Directions to Say the Pledge of Allegiance:

1. Stand and face the flag.

2. Put your right hand over your heart.

3. Males should take off their hats and put them over their left shoulder with their hands over their hearts.

4. Recite the Pledge of Allegiance in unison with the other participants.

5. People in military uniform should face the flag, remain silent, and give a military salute.

There have been many lawsuits regarding the Pledge of Allegiance.

Some people object to swearing loyalty to any power lesser than God, some object to the word God in the Pledge, and others object to saying the Pledge of Allegiance at all.



FUN FACTS

1. The Pledge of Allegiance has 31 words.

2. It was written by Francis Bellamy for the kid's magazine Youth's Companion in 1892.

3. Youth's Companion was a family magazine with a circulation around 500,000 in 1892.

4. The Pledge of Allegiance was an advertising message intended to celebrate Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas.

5. The original Pledge of Allegiance was shorter: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

6. The Pledge of Allegiance has been challenged in court.



Quiz Questions

1. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

2. When was the Pledge of Allegiance written?

3. Who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance?

4. What does the word allegiance mean?

5. Has the Pledge of Allegiance been changed?



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Pledge of Allegiance PowerPoint (1 Slide)

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