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

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 Thank you for listening to today's episode! If you liked what you heard, the best way to spread the word would be to share with a friend or two. If you really liked what you heard today, then I would really like it if you could leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. I am going into 2025 focusing on growing the show and bringing new history lovers to the Its a History Podcast crew. If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at [email protected]. You can also find me on Intagram and Threads @itsahistorypodcast Thank you for listening!