Even early Americans noticed the tough turkey’s scrappiness. Ben Franklin called the turkey a “Bird of Courage.”
In 1776, the United States became an independent nation. The Continental Congress (the government back then) gave Mr. Franklin and John Adams a job to do. They had to pick out the country’s Great Seal. They would choose a symbol. It would show the rest of the world what the United States was all about.
A legend says Mr. Franklin wanted the turkey as the national symbol instead of the eagle. That’s not quite true. Mr. Franklin actually imagined the Great Seal like this: a picture of Moses standing on the shore while the waves crash onto Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt. (You can read the Bible story where that happens in Exodus 14.) The colonies breaking away from Great Britain reminded Mr. Franklin of the Israelites escaping Pharaoh’s cruelty. Would that scene have made a good Great Seal? Members of the Continental Congress didn’t think so. They picked the eagle instead.
In 1784, Mr. Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter. He told her he wished the turkey had been chosen as a symbol for his country instead of the eagle. But he wasn’t talking about the Great Seal. He was talking about something else—a medal made by the Society of the Cincinnati. (The Society of the Cincinnati was made up of people who fought in the Revolutionary War.) Mr. Franklin said the eagle didn’t make a good symbol for the United States. Eagles steal food from other birds. Besides, he said, the eagle is a coward. Even a tiny bird can scare it away.
Turkeys aren’t wimps. Mr. Franklin said they would stand up even to a British Redcoat! Today’s Bostonians would probably agree with him!
Using creatures as symbols isn’t new. Wolves can use their cunning to catch and tear other animals apart. In the Bible, they are used as symbols for teachers who bring harm to God’s followers through false messages. Lambs are weak and need the guidance of a shepherd. God uses them to represent His people. Jesus is also described as a lamb because He is gentle. He also gave Himself up like a sacrificial lamb from the Old Testament. The Bible calls Him a lion because He is strong and fierce, able to protect His people. Can you think of any other creatures in the Bible that stand for bigger ideas?
