Benjamin Franklin Believed That The Turkey Should Be The National Bird of The United States

In 1784, just two years after the bald eagle became the symbol in the Great Seal of the United States, founding father Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter. In the letter, he complained about the decision, and said that the turkey would have been the better choice. He reasons that the eagle is a scavenger, and is too lazy to find food for itself. The turkey, on the other hand, is “a bird of courage,” according to Franklin. Surprisingly, his claims about the bald eagle and the turkey is backed up with science.

More about this over at Discover Magazine.

(Image Credit: Dimus/ Wikimedia Commons)