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The Pledge of Allegiance 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 The Knights of Columbus was the leading proponent of the 1954 addition of the words “under
God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. U.S. Knights began including the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance
in 1951 after the organization’s board of directors adopted a resolution mandating that the amended pledge be formally
recited in each of its 750 Fourth Degree assemblies. A year later, the Supreme Council adopted a resolution that urged Congress
and the White House to add the words “under God” to the Pledge. Supreme Knight Luke Hart, who was also president
of the National Fraternal Congress, persuaded the other 110 fraternal societies to support the resolution as well. The Pledge
of Allegiance was formally amended by Congress and signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower on Flag Day, June 14, 1954.
In a letter following the action, President Eisenhower thanked Supreme Knight Hart for the K of C’s work in making the
addition of the words “under God,” to the Pledge a reality. Today the Order is directly involved in defending
the Pledge against the most recent legal challenges to its constitutionality. In 2005, atheist Michael Newdow, whose earlier
lawsuit had been rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court because he lacked standing, filed a new challenge with a number of co-plaintiffs.
He asked the U.S. District Court in Sacramento, CA to declare the Pledge unconstitutional because it contains the words “under
God.” The Knights of Columbus and seven individual Knights and their families sought and were granted permission to
join the suit as defendant-intervenors. In 2006, the District Court ruled against the Pledge, and the Knights immediately
appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Oral arguments in the case were heard by a panel
of the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 4, 2007. As of October 1, 2009, the court had still not issued
a decision. On October 31, 2007, Newdow filed a similar lawsuit against the school system in Hanover, New Hampshire, this
time on behalf of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and several local plaintiffs. Once again, the Knights of Columbus sought
and received permission from the court to become defendant-intervenors. On September 30, 2009, U.S. District Judge Steven
McAuliffe ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance - including the words “under God” - did not violate the Constitution,
and dismissed the case. Judge McAuliffe held that the Pledge “neither advances nor inhibits religion” and “does
not foster excessive government involvement with religion.” It was, he said, “enacted to enhance instruction in
the Nation’s history, and foster a sense of patriotism.” On October 24, 2009, Newdow filed a notice of appeal
of the New Hampshire case to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Revised 10/30/2009
History of American Flag. 
For more than 200 years, the American
flag has been the symbol of our nation's strength and unity. It's been a source of pride and inspiration for millions
of citizens. And the American Flag has been a prominent icon in our national history. Here are the highlights of its unique past.
On January 1, 1776, the Continental Army was reorganized in accordance with a Congressional resolution which
placed American forces under George Washington's control. On that New Year's Day the Continental Army was laying
siege to Boston which had been taken over by the British Army. Washington ordered the Grand Union flag hoisted above his
base at Prospect Hill. It had 13 alternate red and white stripes and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner
(the canton). In May of 1776, Betsy Ross reported that she sewed the first American
flag.
On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress
passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red
and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."
Between
1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed for additional
stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state.
- Act
of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.
- Act of April 4, 1818 - provided
for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new
state, signed by President Monroe.
- Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 - established proportions
of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to
be upward.
- Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of
the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.
- Executive Order of President
Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally
and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.
Today the flag consists
of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars
represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White
symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.
USA Flag Site
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