American’s Creed Day

"The American’s Creed" is the title of a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 3, 1918. It is a statement written in 1917 by William Tyler Page as an entry into a patriotic contest.

"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 these 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." — William Tyler Page, The American’s Creed.

Wisconsin Public School Observance Days: April 13 - American’s Creed Day

The complete proceedings in regard to the official acceptance of The American’s Creed may be found in the Congressional Record, No. 102, April 13, 1918. The American’s Creed is destined to live in American history as it is a composite of fundamental patriotic literature.

This creed was written as a result of a nationwide contest. Henry Sterling Chapin, of New York, conceived the idea of promoting the contest for the writing of a national creed, which should be the briefest possible summary of American political faith and yet be founded upon the fundamental things most distinctive in American history and tradition. Mayor James H. Preston of Baltimore, Maryland, offered a reward of a thousand dollars for the winning creed. It seemed especially fitting that the birthplace of the National Anthem should have the honor of presenting the prize for the National Creed.