A brief history break
If it [the Pledge of Allegiance] was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me. — Sarah Palin
Pop quiz! What historical event is associated with the origin of the Pledge of Allegiance?
- The American Revolution, 1775-1783
- The Declaration of Independence, 1776
- The Constitutional Convention, 1787
- The swearing in of George Washington as president, 1789
- Attempted secession of southern states, 1860-1861
- Lincoln assassination, 1865
- World’s Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair), 1892
Answer after the break.
For bonus points, when did we start to print “In God We Trust” on our currency?
Answer:
7. World’s Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair), 1892.
The Pledge of Alliance was written in 1892 by a Christain Socialist, Francis Bellamy. (He was the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy.) The pledge was associated with the opening of the Chicago exposition, more than a century after the founding of the nation.
Bonus:
“In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. currency on April 22, 1864. It would finally be made law under President Eisenhower in 1955.
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Shown: The original Pledge, from the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
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Posted: September 11th, 2008 under history.
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