Happy Birthday Michigan! Did You Know Michigan Has Its Own Pledge of Allegiance?
Happy birthday, Michigan!
Today, the Great Lakes State, or if you prefer, the Mitten State turns 186 today.
The state of Michigan joined the union on January 26th, 1837, becoming the 26th state.
While we celebrate our great state, I wonder if you know these fun facts about the 26th state of the United States of America.
What are the other official symbols?
You may know about the state bird and the state flower. However, if you do not, no worries because I did not know!
Michigan's state bird is the robin and the state flower just happens to be the apple blossom, which makes a lot of sense.
Since according to Michigan.org, Michigan is the country's third-largest provider of apples.
But there are more official symbols for the Mitten State.
The Detroit Free Press says that Michigan's other official symbols include:
"a state fish (brook trout), fossil (mastodon), reptile (painted turtle), stone (Petoskey stone) and wild flower (Dwarf Lake Iris)."
There is even official soil of the state, which is the Kalkaska soil series.
Did you know that Michigan has its own Pledge of Allegiance?
Well kinda...
Technically, it is a pledge to the state flag.
According to Michiganada,
"Just as our American flag has a pledge, so too does our state flag. The legislature enacted Public Act 165 of 1972 to declare the following pledge, written by Harold G. Coburn as the official pledge of allegiance to the state flag."
Here is the pledge for you to read.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of Michigan, and to the state for which it stands, 2 beautiful peninsulas united by a bridge of steel, where equal opportunity and justice to all is our ideal."
I wonder if kids in Michigan have to say this class as well as the American Pledge of Allegiance.
Do you know why Michigan natives are called Michiganders?
This is one of the things that I definitely have been interested in finding out.
It seems like we have Abraham Lincoln to thank for that one.
Apparently, then-Illinois Congressman Abraham Lincoln coined the term "Michigander" in 1848 when he called then-Michigan Governor Lewis Cass one.
Michigander was apparently supposed to be an insult, meaning he was as silly as a goose. But now, the moniker is used as a term of endearment for all Michigan natives.
