Children say it every day in school, but have you ever wondered why we recite the pledge of allegiance? We journey back to the late 1800s to understand how a massive wave of immigration and sagging magazine subscriptions gave rise to this vow of patriotism. From the Civil War to anti-immigrant nativism and Cold War politics, this one pledge tells many stories. 

Guests: 

Debbie Schaefer-Jacobs, curator for the history of education collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

Marc Leepson, author of Flag: An American Biography