Episode 3 of 4

First Recitation in Public Schools

Name: First Recitation in Public Schools
Start: 1892-10-12
Location: Public Schools

When: October 12, 1892
Where: Public Schools
Part of: Pledge of Allegiance first recited in US public schools for Columbus quadricentennial

The pledge was first used in public schools on October 12, 1892, during Columbus Day observances.

Observances coincided with the opening of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The event was organized to ensure every school in the land held a flag raising under impressive conditions, marking the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival.

Sources

Pledge of Allegiance Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-07
Columbus Day Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.