Allegiance

Allegiance, the duty of a subject to his or her sovereign. According to the general policy of nations a subject may not renounce allegiance even by emigration or naturalisation in another country, but this general law is in some cases modified by statute. The oath of allegiance is the oath which every subject may be called upon to take, and which is usually taken either upon assuming the higher offices of State or judicial and some other offices. In the United States the oath is simply of obedience to the constitution, and with it is implied, in the case of persons applying for naturalisation, the renunciation of native allegiance to any other sovereign power. In England the oath of allegiance is to be faithful, and to bear true allegiance to the Sovereign.