024: The Eagle and The Turkey: Two Birds; One a National Symbol and One a Thanksgiving Staple

It's a History Podcast

Hello! And happy Thanksgiving! Coming off the tail end of the Potato Famine, I figured we all needed a little lighthearted episode this week. This week I take a look at the eagle and the turkey, both of these birds are significant to the US but for wildly different reasons. One is a symbol for strength, and one is enjoyed by millions on our day of thanks.

Todays episode will look into the eagle as our national symbol, eagle preservation, and the repository where deceased eagles are sent to be further distributed to Native Tribes across the US.

We also take a look at the pesky myth floating around that Ben Franklin wanted the turkery to be the national bird. While on the topic of turkeys I figured lets just take a brief look at thanksgving because why not. :)

Sources for todays episode include: The American Eagle Foundation, History.com, an article from RollCall.com by Mike Magner, The Ben Franklin Institute. Britannica, and Smithsonian Magazine

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