Francis Bellamy (1855-1913), a Boston Baptist, Minister, penned the original Pledge in 1892. Dismissed from the pulpit because of his socialist sermons, Bellamy assumed the position of Chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education where he prepared the program for the public schools' quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day in 1892. He structured the ceremony around the flag rising and salute – his 'Pledge of Allegiance.'(Federer 226)
             Originally, Bellamy's pledge read: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." Bellamy omitted the word "equality" in his pledge because public sentiments were opposed to equality for women and Negros. Bellamy kept notes of his thoughts while writing the Pledge which are very insightful.
             "It began as an intensive communing with salient points of our national history, from the Declaration of Independence onwards; with the makings of the Constitution...with the meaning of the Civil War; with the aspiration of the people...
             The true reason for allegiance to the Flag is the 'republic for which it stands.' ...And what does that vast thing, the Republic mean? It is the concise political word for the Nation – the One Nation which the Civil War was fought to prove. To make that One Nation idea clear, we must specify that it is indivisible, as Webster and Lincoln used to repeat in their great speeches. And its future? Just here arose the temptation of the historic slogan of the French Revolution which meant so much to Jefferson and his friends, 'Liberty, equality, fraternity.' No, that would be too fanciful, too many thousands of years off in realization. But we as a nation do stand square on the doctrine of liberty and justice for all..." (http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm)
             The Daughters of the American Revo...