What famous American wanted the turkey as our national bird?

The idea of making the turkey the national bird of America is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. Writing to his daughter, Franklin jokingly complained that the bald eagle design chosen by Congress for the national symbol looked like a turkey, which he argued would have been a better choice.

Franklin said the bald eagle was a bird of bad moral character because it waits for harder-working birds to catch fish and then takes the fish from them. In contrast, he thought the turkey, despite appearing vain and silly, was a North American native that would bravely attack anyone who invaded its territory.