#18: The Pledge of Allegiance

Most of us don’t know the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. This ‘40s-era fan contains an older version of the Pledge that most of us might be surprised to read. Take a look at the verse printed on the fan. Do you notice anything that’s missing? Yup, that’s right, the Pledge of Allegiance didn’t have the phrase “under God” in it during the ‘40s. 

This version of the Pledge was written in 1923. It’s based on socialist minister Francis Bellamy’s original version from 1892. The phrase “under God” was added in 1954 in response to the heightened fear of Communism. President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to change the wording. Interestingly, in the 1940s, placing your right hand over your heart became the norm for the Pledge.