“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.”
The Pledge of Allegiance was first created in 1892 as a celebratory remark used throughout public schools in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering the New World. Since then, it has become a national motto of unity and a defense of the American way of life. As I’ve always loved the Pledge of Allegiance, I’d like to analyze each passage of the Pledge, determining what its real meaning is. Let us begin.
1.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America…
Let us break down the first phrase of the Pledge, “I pledge allegiance…” The word “I” emphasizes the individual, having one’s own opinions, views, and experiences. “Pledge” by definition means a solumn, binding promise or the act of guaranteeing something. The word “allegiance” is a word meaning love, devotion, or loyalty toward something. In other words, the first part of the above phrase “I pledge allegiance” means for an individual to promise devotion. But what is the individual promising devotion to?
To finish the phrase, the individual promises devotion “to the Flag of the United States of America.” Flags have always been used as sysmbols of objects, countries, or people. They have been used to represent a certain way of life or a specific cause. Thus, an individual promises devotion and loyalty to the United States’ way of life or the specific purposes of the United States. Specific purposes would include those laid down by the Constitution of the United States - “In order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…” Thus, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America” means to promise devotion and loyalty to the American way of life and the promise and purpose of America.
2.
…and to the Republic for which it stands…
This phrase is indeed a powerful phrase in that it emphasizes what the American flag stands for. Again, flags have been used as symbols for near all recorded history. In this case, the flag stands for the American Republic. The founders of this country first determined that the United States ought to be a Republic. In Federalist #39, James Madison explained,
If we resort for a criterion to the different principles on which different forms of government are established, we may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is essential to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans, and claim for their government the honorable title of republic.
Abraham Lincoln also described our Republic as a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people…”
3.
…one nation under God…
In 1954, then President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the words “under God” in the Pledge in order to differentiate the United States from the officially atheist Soviet Union. President Eisenhower remarked, “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.” This phrase also helps to emphasize another American motto, “In God We Trust.”
4.
…indivisible…
“Indivisible” means to be united. The founders of this country knew it was in our best interest for the several states to be united into one federal republic to protect the common interests of all the states, including foreign policy, commerce, and defense. As John Jay remarked in Federalist #2,
With equal pleasure I have as often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people — a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who, by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established general liberty and independence.
This country and this people seem to have been made for each other, and it appears as if it was the design of Providence, that an inheritance so proper and convenient for a band of brethren, united to each other by the strongest ties, should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, and alien sovereignties.
5.
…with Liberty and Justice for all.
To explore this last phrase, we must turn to the Declaration of Independence, written and ratified by the Continental Congress in 1776. The Declaration declares, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The founders clearly understood that government was not a grantor of rights, but that rights were given by God. They also understood all people are created equal and that the rights to life, liberty, and happiness are not negotiable.
In conclusion, what does the Pledge of Allegiance really mean? It means an individual promises to be loyal to America’s purpose and promise, understanding we must be united as a country, accept our spiritual heritage and deep traditions, and know that as Americans, we have inalienable rights to life, liberty, and happiness.