While researching our recent article 
about the Seal of the President 
of the United States, I came across
 a few myths about the National
 Emblem that required a little more 
investigation.
First up, the idea that Benjamin 
Franklin, in his infinite wisdom 
and wit, wanted the National Bird
 to be the turkey. According to
 the United States Diplomacy Center, 
this myth is completely false 
(though I’ll dive into the murkier
 parts of that myth in a moment). 
The center points to the fact that 
Franklin’s proposal for the Great
 Seal was devoid of birds completely
 and suggest that the idea was
 propagated, in part, by a 1962
 illustration for the cover of the New 
Yorker by artist Anatole Kovarsky, 
who imagined what the Great Seal
 of the United States might look like 
if the turkey did become our
 national emblem (above image).
 However, while it’s hard to
 imagine that overstuffed, flightless 
bird on our currency and 
on the President’s lectern instead 
of on our dinner table, there
 is actually a bit of truth to this rumor.
The Franklin Institute, addressing 
what I’m sure is their favorite
 question about one of the most
 complex and interesting men to 
ever live in this country, excerpts
 a letter from Franklin to his 
daughter, in which he does in fact 
question the choice of the eagle, 
commenting that the selected 
design looks more like a turkey.
 Franklin then expounds on the 
respectability and morality of
 each bird, which really seems 
like such a Ben Franklin thing to do--
“For my own part I wish the Bald 
Eagle had not been 
chosen the Representative of our 
Country. He is a Bird 
of bad moral Character. He does 
not get his Living honestly. 
You may have seen him perched 
on some dead Tree near the
 River, where, too lazy to fish for
 himself, he watches the
 Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and
 when that diligent Bird 
has at length taken a Fish, and is
 bearing it to his Nest for 
the Support of his Mate and young
 Ones, the Bald Eagle
 pursues him and takes it from him. 
With all this injustice, 
he is never in good
 case but like those among men who 
live by
 sharping & robbing he is
 generally poor and often very
 lousy. Besides he is a rank coward: 
The little King Bird 
not bigger than a Sparrow attacks 
him boldly and drives
 him out of the district. He is 
therefore by no means a
 proper emblem for the brave and 
honest Cincinnati of
 America who have driven all the
 King birds from our 
country…“I am on this account not 
displeased that the 
Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle,
 but looks more like
 a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey
 is in Comparison a 
much more respectable Bird, and 
withal a true original 
Native of America… He is besides, 
though a little vain 
& silly, a Bird of Courage, and
 would not hesitate to
 attack a Grenadier of the British 
Guards who should 
presume to invade his Farm Yard 
with a red Coat on.”