What is the Pledge of Allegiance?
Answer
A solemn promise of loyalty to the United States
Explanation
The Pledge of Allegiance is a solemn oath of loyalty to the United States flag and the republic for which it stands. The current text reads: 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. Schoolchildren across the country recite the Pledge each morning, and it opens public meetings of Congress, state legislatures, city councils, school boards, and many civic organizations.
The Pledge originated in 1892, written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister and Christian socialist working for the magazine The Youth's Companion to mark the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage. The original wording was simpler: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. President Benjamin Harrison endorsed Bellamy's plan, and on October 12, 1892, an estimated twelve million children recited the Pledge during Columbus Day exercises.
The text changed several times. The phrase my Flag was replaced in 1923 with the Flag of the United States, then the Flag of the United States of America in 1924, to remove ambiguity for children of immigrants. Congress officially recognized the Pledge in the Flag Code of 1942. The phrase under God was added by Congress on June 14, 1954, Flag Day, after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus and others during the Cold War to distinguish American freedom from Soviet atheism, and President Dwight Eisenhower signed the change saying it would reaffirm the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage.
Reciting the Pledge is voluntary in public schools. West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) overturned a 1940 ruling and held that compelling students to salute the flag and recite the Pledge violates the First Amendment, with Justice Robert Jackson writing the famous declaration that if there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion. Subsequent cases have upheld the Pledge against Establishment Clause challenges over the under God phrase, including Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow (2004) on standing grounds.
Naturalization candidates often recite the Pledge during the citizenship oath ceremony as their first formal act as new Americans.
Why this matters for your test
The Pledge is one of the most familiar civic rituals in American life, and many naturalization ceremonies include it. Knowing its words and history connects applicants to a shared tradition.
Source: USCIS 128 Civics Questions (2025)
