★ Symbolic Words ★
Do you remember beginning your school days by saying the Pledge of Allegiance? Have you heard the American’s Creed at a patriotic event? How did the tradition of saying these words become symbolic of national unity and good citizenship?
In 1892, the country celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas. The magazine Youth’s Companion advised schools and communities to mark the occasion with Francis Bellamy’s Salute to the Flag:
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible- with Liberty and Justice for all.”
In the 1920s, the National Flag Conference added “of the United States of America” to Bellamy’s original words. Congress included the Pledge of Allegiance in the Federal Flag Code in 1942; it also standardized the “hand over heart” salute. President Eisenhower signed a Congressional Resolution adding the words “under God” in 1954, emphasizing American religiosity over communist atheism in the early years of the Cold War.
In 1916, civic leaders organized a contest to compose a creed that more clearly defined what it meant to be an American. William Tyler Page created the winning entry, which borrowed from our founding documents. In 1918, Congress recognized Page’s words, “The American’s Creed,” as our official national creed. While it was recited during the first half of the twentieth century in naturalization ceremonies, schools, and meetings of civic organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, it is less often used today.
★ National Music ★
Star Spangled Banner
On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key witnessed a moment he would never forget. While aboard a truce ship, Key watched as British forces bombarded Fort McHenry for nearly twenty-five hours in an attempt to capture the city of Baltimore during the War of 1812. At dawn, he looked toward the fort and observed its massive American flag still flying above the walls, a sign that its defenders had not surrendered. Inspired by this sight, he penned a four-stanza poem that would later become known as “The Star Spangled Banner.” Set to the tune of the popular British song “To Anacreon in Heaven,” the song gained popularity across the United States, particularly among veterans. On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill making it the official national anthem of the United States. Today, we sing Francis Scott Key’s first stanza, a soaring tribute to the resilience of the nation.
Stars and Stripes Forever
In 1896, while on vacation in Europe with his wife, John Phillip Sousa—the “March King”—received news of the death of his close friend and band manager, David Blakely. Deeply affected, Sousa wrote a tribute to his friend on his return voyage to the country. “Stars and Stripes Forever” was Sousa’s favorite composition, featured in Fourth of July parades and concerts, as well as presidential inaugurations throughout the twentieth century. Nearly 100 years after its 1897 debut, Congress named this quintessential piece of American music as the country’s national march.