18921776 Club
Schoolchildren across the country recite a new pledge to the flag
A magazine's Columbus Day promotion puts fifteen seconds of verse into classrooms nationwide.
On October 12, 1892, the nation celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival with Columbus Day observances tied to the upcoming World's Columbian Exposition, whose fairgrounds would not open to the public until May 1, 1893. That same day, public schools across the country folded a new flag ceremony into their Columbus Day observances: students raised the flag and recited a pledge written for the occasion by Francis Bellamy. President Benjamin Harrison had proclaimed the school celebration. Days later, on October 21, 1892, over 10,000 children recited the verse together as part of the fair's dedication ceremonies…
