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
of the United States of America.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States
originated on Columbus Day, 1893. 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 Forth 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 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 to 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 the 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
initiative 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 t 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 6, 1954, the National Executive
Committee of the American Legion gave its approval to that resolution.