What the Pledge
of Allegiance
Means to Me
The Pledge of Allegiance
to the United States flag
is an oath of loyalty
to our country…
What is an
oath?
It is a promise
we make to
our country.
It is often recited in schools,
at public events, and our Congress
opens with reciting the Pledge.
The Pledge of Allegiance was written
in 1892 by Francis Bellamy,
a Baptist minister.
President
Harrison
proclaimed that
it should be
recited by all
school children
that same year…
Reciting of the pledge is
accompanied by a salute.
Arms stretched out to the flag
was the earliest salute
used by schoolchildren…
Later, the hand over the heart
became the salute used to
pledge our allegiance.
What does it
mean to
place your
hand over
your heart?
When you
repeat the
Pledge of
Allegiance,
what do
the words
mean?
The flag is a
symbol.
What is a
symbol?
A symbol is
something
that stands
for
something
else…
What does our flag
symbolize?
It stands for our country,
which is a republic.
A republic is a democratic
government where all citizens have
a voice in their government!
So the flag stands not only for our
nation and for all of us!
The pledge describes
our nation as being ONE,
“indivisible”
with “liberty” and “justice”
for everyone…
“Indivisible”
means that
we are
united and
cannot be
divided.
“Liberty” means we promise
freedoms, such as speech and
religion, to every citizen.
“Justice” means we follow our laws
and treat all people
fairly and equally.
Did you know
that the
words to
our pledge
have not
always
stayed
the same…
The original
pledge
did not
include
the words
“under
God”…
President Eisenhower signed a
new law adding those words on
Flag Day (June 14) in 1954.
What the Pledge
of Allegiance
Means to You?