Podcast with Jane Hampton Cook on the Pledge of Allegiance

Topic: The Pledge of Allegiance.

Recently, we celebrated—well, some of us did—Columbus Day. Did you know that the Pledge of Allegiance was created initially to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day? Jane Hampton Cook is an historian who writes books on our American heritage of adults and for children. She recently wrote a children’s book, called The Pledge to the Flag. Here is one statement in that book: “Freedom of religion in America was different from the Soviet Union, which included Russia. Under communism, the Soviet Union prohibited freedom of religion. [President Dwight D.] Eisenhower added ‘under God’ to the pledge that Francis [Bellamy] had written for the flag to show that America was different from the Soviet Union.” Jane Hampton Cook joins Jerry Newcombe to discuss the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and why America is still worth celebrating.  www.janecook.com