User:Mary Ash/Ben Franklin and the Wild Turkey as the United States National Bird

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Benjamin Franklin believed the North American Wild Turkey should have been chosen as the national bird instead of the United States American eagle. In a letter written to Sarah Bache, his daughter, Franklin wrote:

But the section of the letter of interest to naturalists contains his comments comparing the eagle and the turkey. Some, he says, "object to the bald eagle [portrayed on a medal] as looking too much like a dindon, or turkey. For my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly; you may have seen him perched on some dead tree, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing-hawk; and, when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him, and takes it from him. With all this injustice he is never in good case; but, like those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. Besides, he is a rank coward; the little kingbird, not bigger than a sparrow, attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district. He is therefore by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America, who have driven all the kingbirds from our country.     I am, on this account, not displeased that the figure is not known as a bald eagle, but looks more like a turkey. For in truth, the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America. Eagles have been found in all countries, but the turkey was peculiar to ours; the first of the species seen in Europe, being brought to France by the Jesuits from Canada, and served up at the wedding table of Charles the Ninth. He is, besides (though a little vain and silly, it is true, but not the worse emblem for that) a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on.

The full letter is posted at Ben Franklin Talks Turkey.

Ben Franklin experimented with turkeys as he believed electrocuting them would make the turkey tender.

Electrocution

In a letter dated December 25, 1750, Franklin described his failed turkey electrocution experiment where he planned to kill the turkey by shocking the turkey with “forty common phials” ofelectricity. Instead Franklin he received “the fire from the untied top while the other held a chain connected with the outsides of both jars.” Franklin was knocked senseless by the accident and had no recollection of the accident. He recovered from the incident although he felt some soreness after wards.

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