Thanksgiving tradition in the White House: the pardoning of the Turkey!
Throughout
history, 22 have been pardoned at the White House, and today, President Obama
will pardon one more.
Rumors and mythmakers thrust the clemency onto Harry S.
Truman, but it’s true. The pardoning of Tom Turkey can be traced to Abraham
Lincoln, believe or not! In 1865, Tad pleaded on behalf of a holiday turkey and
his father granted clemency. The moment was reported by White House dispatcher
Noah Brooks.
Harry S. Truman
Turkeys were donated from a Rhode Island poultry dealer, Horace Vose. The tradition began in 1870, and held until his death. In 1921, Harding Girls Club in Chicago outfitted the turkey as a flying ace, complete with in 1925.
First Lady Grace Coolidge accepted a turkey from a Vermont
Girl Scout.
Harry Truman was the first president to receive a turkey
from the poultry and egg board. There was some kind of ‘thing’ going on from
September to November 1947, about ‘poultryless Thursday’, and the White House
was flooded with chickens. ‘Hens for Harry’. Truman then decided to promote the
industry, and he got two turkeys in December 1948. He said, ‘They’d come in
handy’.
President Kennedy said, “Let’s keep him going.” The
pardoning didn’t jell until 1989 when President George H. W. Bush.
Now you know the rest of the story-!
