American primary and secondary school vows

American flag day loyalty oath: one country will not split (fig.)

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World knowledge

Text/Peng Guangqian

If Lincoln and his federal soldiers and civilians had not fought desperately against the separatist forces of the Confederacy, the achievements of the United States today would certainly not have been achieved. Unforgettable historical memory and the realistic needs of American society's survival and development are the profound reasons why the American government regards opposing separatism as the core concept of citizen loyalty.

Loyalty oath on flag day

June 14 is American flag day. On this day every year, national flags are hoisted in various public places, large buildings and even families all over the country, and various commemorative ceremonies are held in various states. One of the important ceremonies is to swear allegiance under the national flag. According to the law passed by the US Congress 1954, the oath taker takes off his hat, stands at attention, puts his right hand solemnly on his left chest and sticks it to his heart: I swear allegiance to the old horse of the United States of America and to the Republic it represents. A country under the protection of God is invisible, and everyone enjoys freedom and justice. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Loyal to the country it represents, a country protected by God. Inseparable, everyone enjoys freedom and justice. )

This oath first appeared in the American magazine Friends of Youth on September 8, 892, as part of the national activities to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World. It is generally believed that the original author of the oath is Francis Bellamy, editor of Friends of Youth. 1942, the American government officially recognized the oath, and since then it has become a Bible that moved the United States and dominated American political life. There are few words in the oath under the protection of God, which was added by American President Eisenhower after 1954 persuaded Congress.

A core idea of this oath is that the United States, as a complete country, will never allow division. This is a pledge of loyalty to the United States, and it is the most basic political creed and moral code for everyone who is loyal to the United States and remembers it here. It cannot be forgotten and betrayed for a moment.

It is no accident that the United States has raised the maintenance of unity and opposition to separatism to such an important height and penetrated into everyone's heart for a long time. It is the most important conclusion drawn by the United States from its own historical experience and lessons, and it is the basic premise to ensure the high-quality survival and rapid development of the United States.

Once fought for reunification.

America is a new immigrant country. 1620, 1 102 It has been less than 400 years since early European immigrants arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts by may flower and established settlements. It has only been more than 200 years since the founding of the United States on July 4, 776. It can be said that the United States not only lacks profound historical and cultural accumulation, but also lacks the internal ties that maintain the close unity of immigrants from different regions, races, colors and beliefs. In the development of the United States, there are both the growing emerging industrial capitalist economy and the expanding plantation economy based on slavery. These two economic systems are diametrically opposed. From the outside world, the former sovereign state has been reluctant to give up its interference in the internal affairs of the United States. In the United States, separatist forces are increasingly active and always want to subvert the federal regime. Regardless of reunification or division, facing the imminent crisis of division, Lincoln quoted the words in the Bible and made a famous speech that divided families cannot last long, which showed his solemn position against splitting the country. However, this overwhelming conflict evolved into a civil war that lasted for four years and swept the country in the 1960s.

From 1860 to 65438+February, South Carolina and other southern States declared their independence one after another, and on February 8, 186 1 year, they formed a confederacy and elected an interim president. The southern slave owners openly competed with the federal government. In his inaugural address, President Lincoln solemnly pointed out: The Union cannot be divided. According to the responsibilities clearly assigned to me by the Constitution, I will do my best to ensure that the federal laws are faithfully implemented in all states. I firmly believe that this will not be regarded as a threat, but just achieved the goal announced by the Federation: the Federation will defend and protect itself according to the Constitution.

When the Confederacy captured Fort Sumter by force and launched a rebellion on April 186 1, President Lincoln had no choice but to lead the federal army and civilians to fight back. This civil war that determines the fate and future of the United States is in full swing. The patriotic enthusiasm of the federal soldiers and civilians emerged like a flood, and the whole north stood up like one person. Especially with the promulgation of "The Emancipation Proclamation", a large number of free blacks joined the team defending the union and opposing separatism, which greatly changed the balance of battlefield forces. During the four-year civil war, the British government, which has always wanted to see the United States split into pieces, has been pumping blood for the separatist forces in the south, creating public opinion and spreading the rationality of the so-called split of the United States into two countries. At the same time, British shipyards are also scrambling to build warships for rebel groups. 1in the summer of 862, 290 warships built by Britain for the confederacy were launched, which caused heavy losses to the northern navy. The British government even found an excuse and ordered to send a British fleet of 1 10,000 elite soldiers, full of weapons and ammunition, to Canada, ready to directly help the rebels in the south. However, due to the fighting on the battlefield,1on April 9, 865, General Lee, commander-in-chief of the Confederate army, was forced to surrender, the secessionist activities of the Confederacy were completely shattered, and the United States was reunified.

After reunification, it developed rapidly.

Lincoln became a great man in American history precisely because he led the federal army and civilians to carry out the second revolution at a critical moment in American history, saved the Federation and created a favorable strategic space for the long-term development of the United States. After reunification, the United States has a broad and unified market and a broad and unified investment place, as well as national strategic resources that can be fully utilized and allocated. In addition, the obstacles of slavery were removed, the productive forces of capitalism were liberated unprecedentedly, and the American economy developed at an alarming rate. 1860, the coal production in the United States was140,000 tons, 1884 was close to10,000 tons; The iron output is less than 6,543.8+0,000 tons, and it is as high as 6,543.8+0,378 tons in 654.38+0,900 years; The total length of the railway is 30,000 miles, and 1900 will reach 200,000 miles, exceeding the total length of European railways. By the end of 19, that is, 30 years after the end of the Civil War, American capitalism surpassed the most advanced Britain at that time in terms of development speed and scale, and became the world's number one capitalist power. This is undoubtedly inseparable from the victory of the anti-secession war in the United States. If Lincoln and his federal soldiers and civilians hadn't fought the separatists in the south, the achievements of the United States today would certainly not have been achieved. Unforgettable historical memory and the realistic needs of American society's survival and development are the profound reasons why the American government regards opposing separatism as the core concept of citizen loyalty.

Nowadays, swearing allegiance to safeguard national unity and opposing national division has become an indispensable part of American political life. Not only on National Flag Day every year, people also swear allegiance under the national flag, that is, every immigrant must swear allegiance to the United States, safeguard unity and oppose separatism before becoming an American citizen. This core idea is the main content of patriotism education in primary and secondary schools in China. 9. After11,the oath of loyalty with opposing separatism and safeguarding unity as the core concept became a regular form for Americans immersed in grief to express their patriotic feelings and unite their national will. Recently, some people think that some words in the oath under the protection of God violate the principle of separation of church and state. Perhaps it is not necessarily providence to safeguard the unity and unity of the United States, but in any case, it is absolutely in the long-term fundamental interests of the United States of America and the American nation.