ALT-2 How the Turkey became a Symbol of Thanksgiving
It's a common misconception that in the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims at Plymouth enjoyed a grand feast of wild turkey at their first Thanksgiving celebration with the Wampanoag tribe, a tradition that we carry on today. Did you know that there is not any actual evidence to support this? It is believed that this became the agreed to history, based on a letter written home to England during that time that stated the governor had sent four men out fouling and they returned with a feast of turkey, ducks and geese.
We know the Pilgrims enjoyed a great deal of wild turkey, as their numbers were abundant at Plymouth, and the size of the large birds meant many could be fed from one, unlike much of the smaller water foul that was also abundant. Many also believe that because roasted goose was customary at Thanksgiving in their homeland of England, the Pilgrims obviously adapted well to exchanging the customary norm for a species that was much more hearty and plentiful in their new land.
It was not until 1863 that Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving, and even at this time, turkey did not hold the center of the table. It wouldn't be until after WWII that turkey would steal center stage on the Thanksgiving Dinner table. With the leaps and bounds in innovation, the poultry industry was producing bigger and better birds, and coupled with a savvy advertising campaign, the turkey would soon come to represent the abundance of America and take it's place as the mainstay of the traditional American Thanksgiving meal.
While as a Thanksgiving meal, the turkey may have taken a while to really catch on, the popularity of this bird is not to be disputed, as displayed evidently in Benjamin Franklin's 1782 quote:
"I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of a bad moral character...like those among men who live by...robbing. The turkey...is a much more respectable bird...a true original native of America."
Franklin respected the turkey, not only as being native to America, but also because of its running ability and speed, along with its keen eyesight.
So this year, as we sit together with our families to enjoy the treat we all know as the Thanksgiving Turkey, keep in mind that just like many other American staples, like Coca-Cola's Santa Clause, this wonderful and tasty tradition is the result of marketing and promotion. Something the Pilgrims would have had little time for as they struggled to build their lives in the New World.
