The Pledge of Allegiance: A Revised History and Analysis 1892-2007

Dr. John W. Baer’s scholarship on the Pledge of Allegiance is well respected, having been cited as the definitive history of the Pledge by the US Supreme Court in 2004. Written by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy, the Pledge of Allegiance was first published in the September 8, 1892 issue of The Youth's Companion National Magazine. It was a central part of the 200th Anniversary Columbus Day School Celebration Program and the promotional campaign to have a US flag fly in every public school house in the America. Dr. Baer delves deep into the circumstances, characters, and controversies surrounding the Pledge, from its inception as part of a public school celebration, its role in a campaign to sell U.S. flags, its Supreme Court case, thru today.