A pledge is a commitment or promise. Allegiance is showing loyalty to a person, idea, organization or country. Pledging allegiance is a promise to stay faithful and to stand up for your country.
The Continental Congress passed the first resolution in 1777 that gave form for the United States flag. It was to consist of 13 stripes, alternating red and white with the union represented by white on a blue background. The flag still carries 13 stripes representing the 13 original colonies. The white stars represent the individual states. The flag represents the history of the United States of America and is a visible symbol of liberty and freedom.
The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise to be a loyal citizen of a country that offers freedom and gives you rights. It is a commitment to the United States of America and all it stands for.
According to "Dictionary.com" a republic is "a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them." When pledging allegiance, you pledge your support for a representative form of government in which citizens vote for people to represent their wishes.
The United States of America isn't a conglomeration of separate nations cobbled together under a contract. Instead, it is a single nation in which each part of the nation supports the U.S. Constitution that outlines the responsibilities and limitations of the government. It also puts into law the freedom and liberty to which each U.S. citizen is entitled.
The words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. The added words put into the pledge the general recognition of the Judeo-Christian impact on the form of government, laws and the right of individuals to freely worship.
Indivisible means that though there will be disagreements among people and government leaders, those disagreements will not be allowed to destroy the nation. Indivisible means that while America is made up of individual states, they work together as a unit for the protection, security and betterment of the citizens.
Liberty means freedom. It means one citizen does not own another. It means the right to live and work without a lot of government interference. It means the right to think and speak things others do not like.
Justice means fairness. A pledge to the flag means that you believe everyone should be treated with respect and treated fairly and equally under the law. Money and status should not dictate how a person is treated. The Pledge to the American flag means that the laws and benefits apply to all citizens. The United States is a government for, by and of the people. The Pledge of Allegiance summarizes a system of laws for all citizens with specific protections and benefits.