The

The

American's Creed

"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 government; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a pefect union, one and inseparable, established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrified 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."

Eighty-one years ago, the U.S. caught up in World War I, a goverment worker named William Tyler Page wrote a short patriotic pledge called "The American's Creed". Page, a clerk in the House of Representatives, won $1,000 for his effort, which he promptly invested in Liberty Bonds to help the war effort.

And then it seems, his creed was forgotten. Page drew on such documents as the Gettysburg Adress, the preamble to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence when he wrote the creed during a patriotic contest staged to whip up support for the war against Imperial Germany.

His inspiration is evident in the wording of the two-paragraph pledge. Page won his prize in March 1918 and then gave the Liberty Bonds he bought with the money to his church.

While the creed isn't familiar to most modern-day Americans, it is a stand-by for the DAR and members of DAR chapters across the country recite it at their meetings. The DAR provides copies to local governments, to schools and to public libraries.

The Patriot-News, Wed September 15, 1999, Harrisburg, PA

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