The Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy, editor of the children’s magazine The Youth’s Companion.
It was written for its September 8, 1892, issue, to commemorate Columbus Day.
It originally read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The verse became a popular Columbus Day tradition and, later, a daily school recitation.
In 1923, the U.S. Flag Association replaced “my flag” with “the flag of the United States of America,” and in 1954, Congress added “under God.”