Why Do Students Pledge Allegiance To The U.S. Flag?

The video explores the tradition of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in American schools. It traces the origins back to 1892, when a children's magazine promoted the Pledge during the World's Fair. President Harrison declared a national day for Columbus's discovery, encouraging schools to recite the Pledge. The tradition was reinforced by a desire to instill patriotism post-Civil War and among immigrants. Today, most states require the Pledge, but a 1943 Supreme Court decision protects students from being forced to participate, allowing them to choose whether to recite it.

What daily ritual is commonly observed in American schools?

• Reading a poem

• Performing a dance

• Singing the national anthem

• Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance

In what year was the World's Fair in Chicago that influenced the Pledge of Allegiance?

• 1776

• 1945

• 1892

• 2000

Which magazine published an early version of the Pledge of Allegiance?

• The Youth's Companion

• National Geographic

• Time

• Reader's Digest

What was President Benjamin Harrison's role in the history of the Pledge?

• He wrote the Pledge

• He proclaimed a national day for Columbus's discovery

• He banned the Pledge in schools

• He revised the Pledge

What did the 1943 Supreme Court decision state about the Pledge of Allegiance?

• Students cannot be forced to recite it

• It can be recited only on national holidays

• It should be recited in a different language

• It must be recited by all students