Editing Pledge of Allegiance (section)

===Francis Bellamy's account===
In his recollection of the creation of the Pledge, Francis Bellamy said, "At the beginning of the nineties patriotism and national feeling was <i>[sic]</i> at a low ebb. The patriotic ardor of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] was an old story&nbsp;... The time was ripe for a reawakening of simple Americanism and the leaders in the new movement rightly felt that patriotic education should begin in the public schools."<ref name="Synopsis">{{cite journal|title=A Brief Synopsis of the Story of the Origin of the Pledge taken from the Detailed Narrative by Francis Bellamy, Author of the Pledge|first=Francis |last=Bellamy |journal=Congressional Record|publisher= Congressional Record 91 Cong. Rec. (1945) House |pages=5510–5511}}</ref> James Upham "felt that a flag should be on every schoolhouse,"<ref name="Synopsis" /> so his publication "fostered a plan of selling flags to schools through the children themselves at cost, which was so successful that 25,000 schools acquired flags in the first year (1892–93).<ref name="Synopsis" />

As the [[World's Columbian Exposition]] was set to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of [[Christopher Columbus]] in the Americas, Upham sought to link the publication's flag drive to the event, "so that every school in the land&nbsp;... would have a flag raising, under the most impressive conditions."<ref name="Synopsis" /> Bellamy was placed in charge of this operation and was soon lobbying "not only the superintendents of education in all the States, but [he] also worked with governors, Congressmen, and even the President of the United States."<ref name="Synopsis" /> The publication's efforts paid off when [[Benjamin Harrison]] declared Wednesday, October 12, 1892, to be Columbus Day for which ''[[The Youth's Companion]]'' made "an official program for universal use in all the schools."<ref name="Synopsis" /> Bellamy recalled that the event "had to be more than a list of exercises. The ritual must be prepared with simplicity and dignity."<ref name="Synopsis" />

Edna Dean Proctor wrote an ode for the event: "There was also an oration suitable for declamation."<ref name="Synopsis" /> Bellamy held that "Of course, the nub of the program was to be the raising of the flag, with a salute to the flag recited by the pupils in unison."<ref name="Synopsis" /> He found "There was not a satisfactory enough form for this salute. The Balch salute, which ran, "I give my heart and my hand to my country, one country, one language, one flag," seemed to him too juvenile and lacking in dignity."<ref name="Synopsis" /> After working on the idea with Upham, Bellamy concluded, "It was my thought that a vow of loyalty or allegiance to the flag should be the dominant idea. I especially stressed the word 'allegiance'. ...&nbsp;Beginning with the new word allegiance, I first decided that 'pledge' was a better school word than 'vow' or 'swear'; and that the first person singular should be used, and that 'my' flag was preferable to 'the.{{'"}}<ref name="Synopsis" /> Bellamy considered the words "country, nation, or Republic," choosing the last as "it distinguished the form of government chosen by the founding fathers and established by the Revolution. The true reason for allegiance to the flag is the Republic for which it stands."<ref name="Synopsis" /> Bellamy then reflected on the sayings of Revolutionary and Civil War figures, and concluded, "All that pictured struggle reduced itself to three words, one Nation indivisible."<ref name="Synopsis" />

Bellamy considered the slogan of the [[French Revolution]], {{Lang|fr|[[Liberté, égalité, fraternité]]}} ("liberty, equality, fraternity"), but held that "fraternity was too remote of realization, and … [that] equality was a dubious word."<ref name="Synopsis" /> Concluding "Liberty and justice were surely basic, were undebatable, and were all that any one Nation could handle if they were exercised for all. They involved the spirit of equality and fraternity."<ref name="Synopsis" />

After being reviewed by Upham and other members of ''The Youth's Companion'', the Pledge was approved and put in the official Columbus Day program. Bellamy noted that "in later years the words 'to my flag' were changed to 'to the flag of the United States of America' because of the large number of foreign children in the schools."<ref name="Synopsis" /> Bellamy disliked the change, as "it did injure the rhythmic balance of the original composition."<ref name="Synopsis" />