On this Day in History… November24th

Nov 24

by Gerald Boerner

“What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a mass turkey-murdering machine? Looks like about 15 feet.”
— Keith Olbermann

“Clyde the turkey was convicted of being a big, delicious looking turkey in November and thereby sentenced to death and subsequent service at Thanksgiving dinner.”
— Montgomery Advertiser

“The President of the United States arbitrarily chooses one of them as the National Thanksgiving Turkey and that particular turkey is pardoned at the last minute.”
— ILoveIndia.com

“After the ceremony in the Rose Garden, the royal bird gets a lodging in Kidwell Farm, a petting zoo at Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia, where it is looked after well enough until it dies a natural death of good old age.”
— Thanksgiving Day blog

“This is an election year and Biscuits had to earn his spot at the Whitehouse…you might say it was neck-and-neck…the Vice President and I are here to congratulate Biscuits for a race well run.”
— President Bush

“Alaska Governor Sarah Palin pardoned a turkey, though she said she was amazed to find out that, besides being a bird, Turkey is also a country. Did you see that all over the Internet today? While Sarah Palin was pardoning a turkey, right behind her was a guy slaughtering turkeys. But, see, like most Internet stories, a little half-true. Turns out that, after a couple of minutes listening to Sarah Palin’s voice, the turkeys said ‘Kill us now.’ ”
— Jay Leno

U.S. President Pardons Thanksgiving Turkey

National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the White House every year. The President of the United States is presented with a live domestic turkey, usually of the Broad Breasted White variety. Generally the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board are involved. Since 1989 during the first Thanksgiving of President George H.W. Bush, the president has granted the turkey a "presidential pardon" and thus is spared from being slaughtered.

History and details of ceremony

The origins of the tradition of pardoning the White House turkey are unclear. Many credit President Harry Truman with starting the informal and lighthearted tradition in 1947. However, the Truman Library says that no documents, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs or other contemporary records are known to exist that specify that he ever "pardoned" a turkey. The Eisenhower Presidential Library says documents in their collection reveal that President Dwight Eisenhower ate the birds presented to him during his two terms. President John F. Kennedy spontaneously spared a turkey on Nov. 19, 1963, just days before his assassination, but did not grant a "pardon." The bird was wearing a sign reading, "Good Eatin’ Mr. President." Kennedy responded, "Let’s just keep him." President Ronald Reagan deflected questions in 1987 about pardoning Oliver North in the Iran-Contra affair by joking about pardoning a turkey named Charlie, who was already heading to a petting zoo.

Since 1989 when the custom of ‘pardoning’ the turkey was formalized, the turkey has been taken to a farm where it will live out the rest of its natural life. For many years the turkeys were sent to Frying Pan Park in Fairfax County, Virginia. Starting in 2005, the pardoned turkeys have been sent to either the Disneyland Resort in California or the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, where they serve as the honorary grand marshals of Disney’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Lincoln’s Pardons Turkey in 1863

Late in 1863 a live turkey was sent to the White House for the Lincoln family to feast on during the holidays. Tad Lincoln, age 10, quickly befriended the bird. Tad taught the turkey to follow him as he walked around the White House grounds. The turkey was named Jack, and Tad fed him as a pet. When the time neared to prepare the turkey for the Christmas meal, Tad burst into one of his father’s Cabinet meetings. He was crying loudly.

Tad told his dad that Jack was about to be killed, and that he had obtained a temporary delay from the "executioner" so he could put Jack’s case before the president. Tad said, "Jack must not be killed; it is wicked." President Lincoln replied, "Jack was sent here to be killed and eaten…I can’t help it." Tad, still sobbing, said, "He’s a good turkey, and I don’t want him killed." Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States of America, paused in the midst of the Cabinet meeting. He took out a card, and on it he wrote an order of reprieve. Jack’s life was to be spared, and Tad raced out of the Cabinet meeting to show the presidential order to the "executioner."

On Tuesday, November 8, 1864, Abraham Lincoln was elected to a second term as president. A special polling place had been set up right on the grounds of the White House especially for soldiers who chose to vote. Jack the turkey actually strutted in front of some of the soldiers and broke in line. Seeing this, the president looked at Tad and asked whether Jack would vote. "He is under age," was Tad’s reply.

The "holiday turkey incident" may have revived youthful memories for the president. When young Abraham was about eight, a flock of wild turkeys approached the Lincolns’ Indiana cabin. Thomas Lincoln, Abraham’s dad, was not home so Abraham asked his mother if he might use his dad’s gun. Nancy Hanks Lincoln gave permission, and Abraham shot and killed one of the turkeys. However, when the boy saw the beauty of the bird whose life was ended, he was very distraught. In Lincoln’s own words, he never again "pulled the trigger on any larger game." Down deep Abraham was known to love animals generally. He treated them kindly.

Other Events on this Day

In 1784…
Zachary Taylor, the twelfth U.S. president, is born in Orange County, Virginia.
In 1832…
A South Carolina convention passes an ordinance to nullify the Federal Tariff Act, which placed duties on foreign imports.
In 1963…
In Dallas, Jack Ruby fatally shoots Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy.
In 1987…
The U.S. and U.S.S.R. agree to dismantle medium- and shorter-range missiles in the first superpower treaty to ban an entire class of nuclear weapons.
In 2003…
President George W. Bush pardons “Stars,” the National Thanksgiving Turkey, and its alternate “Stripes”.