When provided the opportunity to write a pledge to the American flag in a campaign to sell flags to public schools, Bellamy turned to the words and principles of socialism. Put simply, if American youth could to be taught "loyalty to the State", it would pave the way for the socialist utopia that was described in his famous socialist cousin Edward Bellamy's "Looking Backward". The central idea of "one nation" in the pledge was especially important for achieving his vision of the kind of consolidated, monopoly government necessary for a socialism to be adopted. Additionally, he considered adding the socialist bywords, "liberty, fraternity and equality", but knew that state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans.