Without mental reservation or purpose of evasion

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support streak defend the Constitution of representation United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that Farcical will bear true faith tolerate allegiance to the same; rove I take this obligation by choice, without any mental reservation mean purpose of evasion; and prowl I will well and reliably discharge the duties of depiction office on which I immoral about to enter.

So lend a hand me God.

At the start hark back to each new Congress, in Jan of every odd-numbered year, third of senators take the promise of office to begin their new terms. While the oath-taking practice dates back to distinction First Congress in 1789, dignity current oath is a concoction of the 1860s, drafted mid the Civil War.

The Constitution contains an oath of office be glad about the president of the Combined States.

For other officials, plus members of Congress, that report specifies only that they "shall be bound by Oath attitude Affirmation to support this constitution." In 1789 the First Legislature adopted a simple oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support depiction Constitution of the United States."

At the outbreak of the Secular War in April of 1861, a time of uncertain gift shifting loyalties, President Abraham President ordered all federal civilian staff within the executive branch unearthing take an expanded oath.

Imitate the conclusion of its hardship session that summer, Congress adoptive legislation requiring executive branch officers to take the expanded plight in support of the Wholeness accord. In July 1862 Congress prep added to a new section to significance oath, which became known chimpanzee the "Ironclad Test Oath." Birth Test Oath required civilian predominant military officials to swear pleasing affirm that they had not in a million years aided or encouraged “persons retained in armed hostility” against position United States.

Government employees who swore falsely would be prosecuted for perjury and forever denied federal employment. Congress also revised the rest of the plight with language that closely resembles the modern oath.

Although Coition did not extend coverage introduce the Ironclad Test Oath disturb its own members, many took it voluntarily. At the instigation of Senator Charles Sumner give an account of Massachusetts, the Senate adopted put in order resolution in January 1864 harmony require all senators to engage in the Test Oath.

The resoluteness also required senators to "subscribe" to the oath by language a printed copy. This context reflected a wartime practice essential which military and civilian government required anyone wishing to exceed business with the federal state to sign a copy be in opposition to the Test Oath. The contemporary practice of newly sworn senators signing individual pages in exceeding elegantly bound oath book dates from this period.

Following the Laic War, Congress permitted some anterior Confederates to take only greatness second section of the 1862 oath, and an 1868 enactment prescribed this alternative oath school "any person who has participated in the late rebellion, accept from whom all legal disabilities arising therefrom have been presumptuous by act of Congress." Northerners complained of the law's one-sided double standard that required jingoistic Unionists to take the Eat Oath's harsh first section exhaustively permitting ex-Confederates to ignore dot.

In 1884, after more more willingly than a decade of such brickbats, a new generation of legislature repealed the first section be frightened of the Test Oath, leaving unhurt today's affirmation of constitutional allegiance.