Know Jack #503 The First Pledge of Allegiance

“…with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Most Americans would instantly recognize the opening lines of our Declaration of Independence. A few might recognize the grievances it outlines as the inspiration for our constitutional protections. It is a rare thing indeed to hear anyone mention the pledge that is the true strength of the document.

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence did not agree when it came to matters of politics or what should be done to resolve the grievances they had just outlined. Some of them didn’t like each other. Some were political opponents, wrangling among themselves about taxes, diplomacy, and individual liberty.

They were a loose conglomeration of men from rival states who had gathered to take on the most powerful nation in the world. Knowing how easily it could all fall apart, they bound themselves with a pledge. They were signing a political statement that branded them as traitors. If they lost the war they were pursuing, they would forfeit all they owned before they were hanged for their crime. That went without saying, but they said it anyway to be sure everyone understood.

But they concluded by adding something to the list—their sacred honor. That was something no king or triumphant enemy could take from them. Honor belongs to a man in a way nothing else can. It defines him to the world, but more importantly, it defines who he sees in the mirror. Honor makes demands of no one but its possessor, answers to no one but he who holds it.

The pledge of themselves and all they had was not for their sake. It was a pledge given to every man in the room and every man in the field to stand with them and to die with them if necessary. Perhaps if Americans reclaimed the meaning of honor, we would rediscover what it means to be free.