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Does anyone know the history of the addition to the Pledge of Allegiance the words "Under God"? I've read that the phrase was added sometime in the 1950's. Does anyone know the history of that change? Who chose to add it and why? Did it relate somehow to the McCarthy era hearings (I'm just guessing)?
Thanks for any info anyone could provide on this.
I'm a person of faith, but I like to watch my more fundamentalist brethren get apoplectic at the notion of taking that out. Amazing how we survived two world wars and a depression without needing the invocation of God in the Pledge.
Does anyone know the history of the addition to the Pledge of Allegiance the words "Under God"? I've read that the phrase was added sometime in the 1950's. Does anyone know the history of that change? Who chose to add it and why? Did it relate somehow to the McCarthy era hearings (I'm just guessing)?
Thanks for any info anyone could provide on this.
1954 act of Congress, endorsed by Ike after a campaign that began in 1948 with Louis A. Bowman, the chaplain of the Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
All I can get from the wiki article as to motive is simply that there were various religious groups and members of Congress who were for it, plus Truman had been recently baptized and supported it. It seems like enthusiastic advocacy from the religious sector of society was the main reason for it?
This is also the time period that saw the motto, "In God We Trust" replace the previous official motto of the United States, "E Pluribus Unum" and the words "In God We Trust" officially added to the currency. The phrase had appeared randomly on coins as early as 1864, but was not made official until the mid-1950's. The phrase was taken from the last line of Francis Scott Key's poem "The Star Spangled Banner"..."and this be our motto: in God is our trust".
Of interest, mentioned on the wiki page, is the use of the "Bellamy Salute" as the previous official method for saluting the flag. Here is a picture of school children performing it in 1941:
In 1942 it was replaced with the current method of placing your hand over your heart, given it's stark resemblance to a then common salute being used in Europe...
This is also the time period that saw the motto, "In God We Trust" replace the previous official motto of the United States, "E Pluribus Unum" and the words "In God We Trust" officially added to the currency. The phrase had appeared randomly on coins as early as 1864, but was not made official until the mid-1950's. The phrase was taken from the last line of Francis Scott Key's poem "The Star Spangled Banner"..."and this be our motto: in God is our trust".
Of interest, mentioned on the wiki page, is the use of the "Bellamy Salute" as the previous official method for saluting the flag. Here is a picture of school children performing it in 1941:
In 1942 it was replaced with the current method of placing your hand over your heart, given it's stark resemblance to a then common salute being used in Europe...
I'm told it was Senator McCarthy who pushed for it, to make a point that the US was a religious nation, while the "godless Communists" were not. He was hoping to spur a religious ideology that was contrast our values sharply with those of Soviet Russia. Seems like his effort was pretty effective.
This is also the time period that saw the motto, "In God We Trust" replace the previous official motto of the United States, "E Pluribus Unum" and the words "In God We Trust" officially added to the currency.
Actually the "In God We Trust" motto was first added to US money in 1864 during the Lincoln administration. It appeared on the two cent piece. In 1909 when the Lincoln penny was introduced, it appeared there. If you are defining currency as paper money only, then you would be correct, it first appeared on the dollar bill in 1957.
None of the above is meant to question the idea that the 1950's saw the triumph of homogeneous thinking when it came to the culture.
All I can get from the wiki article as to motive is simply that there were various religious groups and members of Congress who were for it, plus Truman had been recently baptized and supported it. It seems like enthusiastic advocacy from the religious sector of society was the main reason for it?
It wasn't Truman, it was Eisenhower who had recently converted his faith and was in favor of the move and signed the legislation. It did have wide pluralistic support from a lot of organizations. At the time, religious sentiment was very high in the US and these organizations were very politically influential.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
I'm told it was Senator McCarthy who pushed for it, to make a point that the US was a religious nation, while the "godless Communists" were not. He was hoping to spur a religious ideology that was contrast our values sharply with those of Soviet Russia. Seems like his effort was pretty effective.
It was more then just McCarthy. He is the one people remember because of his hearings and accusations, but he was simply tapping into and taking to an extreme a much broader "anti-communism movement" in the US. While his soundbites are often quoted, his sentiments were not rare or unusual. The bills that adopted the uses of the motto's also happened after McCarthy's fall from grace. He was censured by the Senate in 1954 and while he still held his seat for another 2 1/2 years, he had virtually no power and was a broken man.
Just to illustrate how widespread the anti-communism movement was, one of McCarthy's biggest supporters was Joe Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan. Odd, because McCarthy was a Republican. He wasn't just a supporter, McCarthy dated both Patricia and Eunice Kennedy and was Kathleen Kennedy's (RFK's daughter) godfather. The entire nation was very anti-communist and seeking to illustrate the differences, religion being the one thing that seemingly appealed to everyone as a stark difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grandstander
NJGOAT
Actually the "In God We Trust" motto was first added to US money in 1864 during the Lincoln administration. It appeared on the two cent piece. In 1909 when the Lincoln penny was introduced, it appeared there. If you are defining currency as paper money only, then you would be correct, it first appeared on the dollar bill in 1957.
None of the above is meant to question the idea that the 1950's saw the triumph of homogeneous thinking when it came to the culture.
GS, hence why I said this...
Quote:
The phrase had appeared randomly on coins as early as 1864, but was not made official until the mid-1950's.
What I have never been clear on is whether or not the Act as passed in 1956 standardized its use as required on coins, or if it only applied to paper. I know it was first added to paper currency at that time, but I don't know if it was made official for coins as well, or if it is still left up to the Secretaries discretion. The Act passed during the Lincoln Administration basically approved the use of the motto at the Mint's discretion. A later Act in 1908 stated that it must be used on coins which it had previously appeared on, but that Act specifically excluded the one-cent and five-cent coins. The phrase has been used universally on all coins since 1938 when it was added back to the five-cent coin. So, it would seem that the Mint could theoretically issue one-cent and five-cent coins without the words "In God We Trust" if they wanted to.
I found this little history on the origin of the words and it seemed to be a personal crusade of Salmon Chase. I can't speak to the rest of the website, but the link directs to a copy of an official Treasury brief on the use of the motto on coins.
I found this little history on the origin of the words and it seemed to be a personal crusade of Salmon Chase. I can't speak to the rest of the website, but the link directs to a copy of an official Treasury brief on the use of the motto on coins.
Before President Lincoln clevery eliminated Chase as a rival by appointing him to the Supreme Court, Chase was Lincoln's main competition for the 1864 Republican nomination. His "crusade" to get the motto on US money was far less an expression of his devotion to a diety and much more a move on Chase's part to solidify support for his candidacy with the potential voters. Lincoln had reservations about the idea related to the 1st amendment issues, but did not feel he could indulge in such a petty fight when so much was at stake with the war and reelection. If Chase promoted the motto and Lincoln had overridden the decision, then Chase would have emerged as the hero of the devout and Lincoln the would have been perceived as the man spitting on sacred beliefs. Ever the pragmatist, Lincoln went along with the idea. The Civil War was fought during one of America's episodic periods of enhanced religious fervor, so any sort of anti religious appearing act would have been political suicide.
Chase was a pretty shameless self promoter, it was under his stewardship as Treasury Secretary that the US first printed paper currency, the "Greenback Dollar." And what great American did Chase select to be honored by having his picture on that first paper currency? Why, Salmon P. Chase.
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