A history of the Pledge of Allegiance

The St. Louis Park City Council's decision to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance at its meetings has displeased critics who say the move is unpatriotic. At its most recent meeting Monday night, demonstrators protested the decision both inside and out of City Hall, many of them seeing the Pledge of Allegiance as being an essential part of being an American.

President Trump even weighed in on the issue on Twitter saying: "Outrage is growing in the Great State of Minnesota where our Patriots are now having to fight for the right to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I will be fighting with you!" (For the record, the St. Louis Park City Council has not proposed denying anyone's right to say the pledge.)

But even though the Pledge of Allegiance has become an ingrained part of American culture, how did it come to be? Here's a look at the history of the pledge.

How was the Pledge of Allegiance first created?

The original idea for a pledge first came about in 1885, when Civil War veteran Colonel George Balch wrote a version that said "We give out heads and our hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag."

But the the pledge that we know today was written by Francis Bellamy in 1891. Bellamy was a staff writer for the magazine Youth's Companion and was asked to write a new version of the pledge to use in a celebration for the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in America. It reads: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands — one Nation indivisible — with liberty and justice for all."

Are students required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance?

No. Although the pledge became a mandatory part of the school day in the 1930s, the Smithsonian Institution says that in 1943 the Supreme Court ruled that schools could not force students or teachers to recite the pledge. Most states still require schools to make time for it during the day, but participation is not required.

What's the etiquette around the Pledge of Allegiance?

During the Pledge of Allegiance, military personnel in uniform are required to salute. Other citizens place their right hand on their heart and it is customary to remove hats during the pledge.

Where is it required to say the Pledge of Allegiance?

Nobody appears to track all the places where the Pledge of Allegiance is still recited, but it's still common in city councils in Minnesota. According to the Star Tribune, Blaine, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville, Duluth, Eden Prairie, Mankato, Maplewood, Moorhead, Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Paul, Stillwater and Wayzata all include the pledge as part of city council meeting agendas, but Minneapolis and Edina do not.

Do immigrants have to recite the pledge to become citizens?

Yes. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, after the Oath of Allegiance, new citizens also recite the Pledge of Allegiance during naturalization ceremonies.