This Day in History;“American’s Creed” by Clerk of the House William Tyler Page

Office of the Clerk U.S. House of Representatives ^ | April 03,2010 | William Tyler Page

[mdittmar]

“American’s Creed” by Clerk of the House William Tyler Page April 03, 1918

On this date, the House of Representatives honored William Tyler Page, a longtime congressional employee and Clerk of the House, for his authorship of the “American’s Creed.” In 1916, on the eve of the U.S. entry into World War I, Henry Sterling Chapin, the New York commissioner of education, devised a national writing competition to foster patriotism and civic responsibility among U.S. citizens. Of the more than 3,000 submissions for an American creed, Page’s winning entry was described as “brief and simple but remarkably comprehensive of the best in American ideals, history, and tradition, as expressed by the founders of the Republic and its greatest statesmen and writers.” The House ceremony to recognize Page included Speaker of the House James Beauchamp (Champ) Clark of Missouri and former Speaker Joe Cannon of Illinois. Members of Congress paid tribute to the veteran employee—who began his career as a House Page in 1881—for his service to the institution and his country. Page, who received $1,000 for his winning entry, recited the “American’s Creed” on the Capitol steps which ended with the declaration, “I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.” In further recognition of Page’s accomplishment, the House placed a bronze tablet of the “American’s Creed” in the Capitol.

[mdittmar]

The American's Creed

by William Tyler Page

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

Written 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918.

[jessduntno]

Not likely to become a popular poster in colleges...

[Old Teufel Hunden]

I've always liked the Americans creed even more than the pledge of allegiance. The pledge was written by Reverend Ralph Bellamy who happened to be a self described Christian socialist. Also, when the pledge was originally done, it was accompanied by the Bellamy salute which looks a lot like the Nazi salute. So much so that by the beginning of WWII it was cut out.

This is what it looked like, creepy:

[jdege]

I [...] do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.

[dayglored]

Thank you SO much for posting this. William Tyler Page is one of my heroes. My FR profile page has the American's Creed as the first item.

I'm also very proud to be one of his descendants. More information on WTP here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyler_Page

[dayglored]

Concerning the Creed, William Tyler Page said:

"The American's Creed is a summing up, in one hundred words, of the basic principles of American political faith. It is not an expression of individual opinion upon the obligations and duties of American citizenship or with respect to its rights and privileges. It is a summary of the fundamental principles of American political faith as set forth in its greatest documents, its worthiest traditions and by its greatest leaders."