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President Harry Truman in 1947

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Curtis Strite

Lvl 13
3y ago
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Wiki User

9y ago

The answer is not as simple as one might expect.

George H. W, Bush was the first to grant an actual presidential pardon to the

turkey presented to him at Thanksgiving by the national turkey foundation in 1989.

Harry Truman may have been given a turkey in 1947 but there is no record that he pardoned it -- he quite likely gave it to someone to kill and eat.

John F Kennedy spared a Thanksgiving turkey that he was given, but he did not refer to the act as granting a pardon.

Legend says that Abraham Lincoln pardoned a Christmas Turkey at the request of his son Tad. It may or may not have actually happened.

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Wiki User

13y ago

I do not think that this ever happened in the US. The turkey growers gave the president a prize turkey to eat at Thanksgiving and at first the president did just that or else gave the turkey to someone who would eat it. The idea of pardoning a turkey came much later and after the first turkey was pardoned, no president decided to kill one of the gift turkeys.

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Wiki User

10y ago

The first U.S. President to pardon a turkey on Thanksgiving was President Truman. He pardoned the first bird in 1947.

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Wiki User

11y ago

George H W Bush was the first president to officially pardon a turkey at Thanksgiving in 1989.

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Wiki User

13y ago

George H. W Bush and all the presidents since have pardoned the turkeys they given for Thanksgiving. I think most of them ate some other turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

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Maria Martinez

Lvl 4
3y ago

President John Kennedy.

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14y ago
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Q: Which president is believed to be the first to pardon a turkey and start this annual tradition?
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Related questions

When did the custom of a presendential pardon of a turkey begin?

The 42nd President, George Hurbert Walker Bush, started this tradition.


Who was the last president to give a presedentail pardon?

As of 2014, Barack Obama is the last president to issue a presidential pardon. George Washington issued the first presidential pardon.


What can the president do for criminals?

The President can pardon the criminal.


Who does a presidential pardon requires the approval of?

Nobody. The president does not have to answer to anyone if he issues a pardon.


Who was to pardon a turkey from Thanksgiving?

The President


Who issues a pardon?

The President or a Governor.


The president can pardon or a crime?

forgive


What is it called if the the president excuses someone from punishment who is convicted of a crime?

a pardon(like in a general pardon) or amnesty


What word means the act of excusing?

The word is pardon. The president has the power to pardon the prisoners.


Which set of powers does the president use to pardon individuals of crimes?

The president's power to grant pardons is found in the US. A pardon cancels the sentence and grants the person forgiveness for the crime.


What is presidential power to release criminals from punishment?

The Department of Justice . the Attorney General of the United States and the FBI report to the President. The IRS is also under his control. He can order investigations or cause investigations to be dropped. He can also pardon people for federal offenses.


What happened first President Ford granted former President Nixon a full free and absolute pardon or James Earl Carter was elected President of the US?

Ford's pardon.