Ben Franklin and the Turkey
What’s so American about a bald eagle?
Interesting Facts in Easy English
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- propose: suggest
- Great Seal of the US: a presidential stamp placed on federal documents in the US
- illustration: drawing
- vain: overly admiring of oneself
- invader: an unwelcome person who tries to enter or take over a region by force
- criticize: to speak or write negatively about someone or something
- immoral: not kind or caring towards others
- reservations: concerns or doubts
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Ben Franklin and the Turkey
Comprehension Questions
- What is the Great Seal of America?
- What really caused Benjamin Franklin to consider the turkey in favour of the eagle?
- How does the report end?
Discussion Questions: Which bird best represents your own native country, and why?
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Ben Franklin and the Turkey
Did Benjamin Franklin really propose that a turkey,
rather than an eagle, should be the national symbol on the Great Seal of the United States? Not exactly. In a letter to his daughter, dated January 26, 1784, Benjamin Franklin noted that the proposed
drawing of the bald eagle for the Great Seal looked more like a turkey. He went on to say that perhaps the illustration was fitting, since a turkey is a more
respectable bird than a bald eagle. He said that though a turkey is a bit vain and silly, it is also a native species with great courage who would protect
its territory from invaders. He went on to criticize the eagle, saying that these birds were immoral cowards that liked to steal. While Benjamin Franklin’s letter to his daughter suggests he had reservations about the
symbolism of the eagle, it is a myth to say that this Founding Father truly felt the turkey ought to be America’s national bird.
- The Great Seal of America is a presidential stamp placed on federal documents in the US.
- A proposed illustration of an eagle on the Great Seal of America caused Benjamin Franklin to consider the turkey in favour of the eagle. He felt the bird looked more like a turkey than an eagle.
- The report ends by debunking the myth. Benjamin Franklin didn’t officially propose the turkey as the national bird of America. Franklin simply made a comment to his daughter in a private letter. His comment was inspired by an illustration of an eagle that he thought looked more like a turkey.
