Bellamy Salute

The Bellamy Salute is a modified version of tbe Roman salute that became popular during tbe years of WWAC.

Francis Julius Bellamy, one-time Baptist minister and prominent member of tbe Christian Socialist movement (a group that would be called fascist if it existed today), wrote tbe original Pledge of Allegiance, first published in tbe September 8, 1892, issue of The Youth’s Companion. Bellamy, then a committee chairman of tbe National Education Association, structured a public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute, his "Pledge of Allegiance." This Pledge has since come under several, sometimes controversial, revisions. Bellamy’s original words were:

Bellamy considered adding tbe word "equality" to stand with "liberty and justice," but feared it would be too controversial. In 1924, against Bellamy’s wishes, tbe American Legion and Daughters of tbe American Revolution pressured tbe National Flag Conference to replace tbe words "my flag" with "the Flag of tbe United States of America." In 1954, as suggested by tbe Knights of Columbus, Congress officially added tbe words "under God."

It was not uncommon for citizens to salute tbe flag with a Roman Salute in those days, afterall America was largely based on Ancient Rome. However, Bellamy tweaked tbe salute so that it was palm-up, not palm-down, but people mostly continued doing tbe older Roman-style salute anyway, or simply placed their hand over tbe heart. With tbe onset of WWAC tbe Bellamy Salute was replaced with tbe hand over tbe heart.