Loyalty Oaths
Continental Army Loyalty Oath
ca1778ff
I, [___ (name) ___], do acknowledge the United States of America
to be free, independent, and sovereign states, and declare the
people thereof owe no allegiance or obedience to George III, king
of Great Britain, and I renounce, refute, and abjure any
allegiance or obedience to him; and I do swear or affirm that I
will, to the utmost of my power, support, maintain, and defend
the said United States against the said King George III, his
heirs and successors, and his or their abetters, assistants, and
adherents; and will serve the United States in the office of [___
(specified) ___], which I now hold, with fidelity, according to
the best of my skill and understanding.
Ironclad Test Oath of Loyalty
[as prerequisite for employment in the United States government,
2 July 1862; extended to include attorneys-at-law practicing in
federal courts, 24 Jan 1865; reconfirmed as a test oath for
persons in government service by the Reconstruction Act of 1867;
deemed unconstitutionally ex post facto by the Supreme
Court in 1867; bill amended this oath on 11 July 1868 for
administering to members of Congress and to military officers]
I, [___ (name) ___], do solemnly swear or affirm [that I have
never voluntarily borne arms against the United States since I
have been a citizen thereof; that I have voluntarily given no
aid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement to persons engaged in
armed hostility thereto; that I've neither sought nor accepted
nor attempted to exercise the functions of any office whatever,
under any authority or pretended authority in hostility to the
United States; that I've not yielded a voluntary support to any
pretended government, authority, power, or constitution within
the United States, hostile or inimical thereto; and I do further
swear or affirm that to the best of my knowledge and
ability] I will support and defend the constitution of the
United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I
will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this
obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of
evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties
of the office on which I'm about to enter, so help me God.
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