For over one hundred years, it has been deeply ingrained in American culture. Saluting the flag in public schools began as part of a national effort to Americanize immigrants, its final six words imbuing it with universal hope and breathtaking power. Now Richard Ellis unfurls the fascinating history...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben

1. Verfasser:	Ellis, Richard J. 1960- (VerfasserIn)
Format:	Buch
Sprache:	English
Veröffentlicht:	Lawrence Univ. Press of Kansas 2005
Schlagworte:	Bellamy, Francis / Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag - Histoire aBellamy, Francis > tPledge of Allegiance to the Flag > xHistory Bellamy, Francis > Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag > History Geschichte Allégeance - États-Unis - Histoire Patriotisme - États-Unis - Histoire aAllegiance > zUnited States > xHistory aPatriotism > zUnited States > xHistory Patriotismus Fahneneid États-Unis - Conditions sociales aUnited States > xSocial conditions USA
Online-Zugang:	Table of contents Inhaltsverzeichnis
Zusammenfassung:	For over one hundred years, it has been deeply ingrained in American culture. Saluting the flag in public schools began as part of a national effort to Americanize immigrants, its final six words imbuing it with universal hope and breathtaking power. Now Richard Ellis unfurls the fascinating history of the Pledge of Allegiance and of the debates and controversies that have sometimes surrounded it. For anyone who has ever recited those thirty-one words, To the Flag provides an unprecedented historical perspective on recent challenges to the Pledge. As engaging as it is informative, it traces the story from the Pledge's composition by Francis Bellamy in 1892 up to the Supreme Court's action in 2004 regarding atheist Michael Newdow's objection to the words "under God" Ellis is especially good at highlighting aspects of this story that might not be familiar to most readers: the schoolhouse flag movement, the codification of the Pledge at the First National Flag Conference in 1923, changing styles of salute, and the uses of the Pledge to quell public concerns over sundry strains of radicalism. Created against the backdrop of rapid immigration, the Pledge has continued for over a century to be injected into American politics at times of heightened anxiety over the meaning of our national identity. Ellis analyzes the text of the Pledge to tell how the very words "indivisible" and "allegiance" were intended to invoke Civil War sentiments-and how "with liberty and justice for all" forms a capsule expression of the American creed He also examines the introduction of "under God" as an anti-Communist declaration in the 1950s, demonstrating that the phrase is not mere ceremonial Deism but rather a profound expression of what has been called America's "civil religion." The Pledge has inspired millions but has also been used to promote conformity and silence dissent-indeed its daily recitation in schools and legislatures tells us as much about our anxieties as a nation as they do about our highest ideals. Ellis reveals how, for over a century, those who have been most fearful about threats to our national identity have often been most insistent on the importance of patriotic rituals. Indeed, by addressing this inescapable paradox of our civic life, Ellis opens a new and unexpected window on the American soul
Beschreibung:	Includes bibliographical references and index
Beschreibung:	XX, 297 S. Ill.
ISBN:	9780700613724 9780700615216 0700613722