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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, 1892. 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 the 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 an 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 to be so amended
and that Congress be petitioned to have such 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 this 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 in the House of Representatives to
so amend the Pledge of Allegiance as set forth in the Public Law
relating the use of 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 official the 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 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 8, 1954, the National Executive
Committee of the American Legion gave its approval to that resolution.
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