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Why Americans Pledge Allegiance

Remember this?

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
--official version since 1954

Practically every American can recite that pledge upon request. For decades, most public schools have required teachers to lead students in reciting it every morning (though the Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that schools can't actually compel students to play along). But why do Americans "pledge allegiance," and why pledge it "to the flag"?

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