When was “under God” Added to the Pledge of Allegiance?
The phrase “under God” was officially added to the Pledge of Allegiance by act of Congress in 1954, though it had been used by some groups prior to that time. The Movement to Add “Under God” to the “Pledge of Allegiance” –> Louis Bowman of Illinois added the phrase “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1948, and convinced the Sons of the American Revolution (of which he was a member) and the Daughters of the American Revolution to adopt the new language. [Source: Religion and the Law in America, p. 110-12]. The Knights of Columbus are also frequently credited with adding “under God” to the pledge. In 1951 and 1952, the Knights of Columbus adopted resolutions incorporating the new “under God” language into the recitation of the pledge at their various meetings. [Source: Wikipedia entry for “Pledge of Allegiance”]. Congressional Action to Amend the Pledge In 1953, Representative Louis Rabaut, a Democrat from Michigan, introduced the first bill in the U.S. Congress that would offici
