A guy named Francis Bellamy wrote the "Pledge of Allegiance" in 1892. At the end of the pledge you were to raise your right arm in a roman salute. Hitler also adopted this salute. The two co-existed until 1941 when the US went to war against Germany. In June of '42 Congress recognized the pledge and also changed the roman salute to "hand over your heart". If the 1950's during the "red scare" the US Congress added the words "under God" to the end.