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Annual Turkey Pardon, Holiday Meals, Activities and More
The White House Thanksgiving celebration has been traced back to President Abraham Lincoln, when the president declared in October 1863 that the last Thursday in November would be commemorated as Thanksgiving Day. Lincoln is also credited with the first turkey pardon, even though it was for Christmas. According to an 1865 dispatch from White House reporter Noah Brooks: “a live turkey had been brought home for the Christmas dinner, but [Lincoln’s son Tad] interceded in behalf of its life…[Tad’s] plea was admitted and the turkey’s life spared.”
“While many turkeys have found their way to the White House over the years, it appears that most presidents did not “pardon” these birds. The formal tradition of the turkey pardon solidified in 1989 when President George H. W. Bush remarked: “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy—he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now—and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.”
-Lina Mann, Historian at The White House Historical Association
Reports of turkeys as gifts to American presidents can be traced back to the 1870s, when Rhode Island poultry dealer Horace Vose began sending well fed birds to the White House.
Turkey presentations at the White House became national news in the 1920s with accounts of turkeys taking exciting cross-country trips to the White House and arriving dressed for the occasion in goggles and sweaters, inside their decorated coops. Read about these stories and other game sent to the White House for Thanksgiving, including a raccoon that became First Lady Grace Coolidge’s pet.
In addition to serving a traditional turkey dinner, White House Thanksgiving meals have featured regional items such as Chesapeake Bay oysters, rockfish from the Potomac River, terrapin from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, cranberries from Cape Cod, and mince and pumpkin pies.
Learn more about how presidents spent Thanksgiving and what they ate.
For more information and stories, visit whitehousehistory.org. See a photo album of high-res turkey pardons images here. Please credit The White House Historical Association when using photos or information.
For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with Historian Lina Mann, please contact press@whha.org.
For all media inquiries, contact press@whha.org.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission.
To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
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