.png)
.png)
Each Thanksgiving season, social media buzzes with clips of the president sparing a turkey’s life. For many, this quirky tradition feels like an age-old part of American culture. But what if we told you that the presidential turkey pardon, as we know it, is less of a historical mainstay and more of a modern flourish? The story of this tradition is as stuffed with myth as a holiday turkey itself.
Two centuries after George Washington proclaimed the first national day of public thanksgiving, President George H.W. Bush transformed a long-standing photo op into something more ceremonial. On November 17, 1989, with reporters, schoolchildren, and a jittery 50-pound turkey looking on, Bush stood in the White House Rose Garden and delivered these now-famous words:
“Let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy. He’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now.”
And just like that, the annual tradition of pardoning a turkey was born. Or was it?
The Origins of Clemency for Fowl
Bush might have formalized the tradition, but stories of presidents sparing turkeys date back much further. Take Abraham Lincoln, for example. During his presidency, his young son Tad reportedly formed a bond with a turkey named Jack, meant for Christmas dinner. Tad, treating Jack like a family pet, begged his father to save the bird. Touched by his son’s plea, Lincoln granted Jack a reprieve, giving him a new lease on life.
Fast forward to the late 19th century, and Rhode Island poultry dealer Horace Vose took it upon himself to provide Thanksgiving turkeys to presidents from Ulysses S. Grant to Woodrow Wilson. Vose was bipartisan in his generosity, ensuring that presidents of both parties feasted well. After his death in 1913, turkey presentations became more sporadic until the mid-20th century when the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board took up the mantle in 1946.
However, these birds weren’t so lucky. As President Harry Truman candidly told reporters in 1948, the turkeys he received “would come in handy” for his large family gathering. A 1953 account reveals that President Dwight Eisenhower even requested a turkey gifted to him be “killed, frozen, and returned” in time for his Thanksgiving feast.
Kennedy, Reagan, and the Birth of the Pardon
The first flicker of mercy appeared in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy famously spared a hefty 55-pound turkey sporting a sign that read, “Good Eating, Mr. President!” Declaring, “We’ll just let this one grow,” Kennedy allowed the bird to return to its farm, though the word “pardon” wasn’t officially uttered.
That distinction belongs to Ronald Reagan, who jokingly used the term while dodging reporters’ questions during the Iran-Contra scandal in 1987. Asked about the fate of the turkey before him, Reagan quipped, “I’ll pardon him.”
Two years later, George H.W. Bush cemented the tradition by making the pardon official.
A Short, Sweet Retirement
While the act of pardoning turkeys feels heartwarming, the story doesn’t always have a happy ending. These turkeys, bred for consumption, aren’t built to survive long-term. Even with a stay of execution, most pardoned turkeys pass away within a year due to health complications.
Still, the tradition endures, giving Americans a moment of levity in the holiday season. Whether rooted in myth, history, or modern political theater, the presidential turkey pardon has cemented its place in Thanksgiving lore—reminding us all to take life (and dinner) a little less seriously.
__
Information from History.com
Comentarii