Speaking of throwing animals a bone, Lincoln once let a turkey off death row. You could say it was a pardon. Why did he do that? Why did Abraham Lincoln pardon a turkey? In general, Lincoln was a ...

Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. It is believed Abraham Lincoln was the first president to pardon a turkey in 1863. Lincoln's son Tad allegedly became attached to the turkey ...

Gifting the White House poultry can be traced back to the 1800s, but the origins of the ceremonial presidential pardon of the National Thanksgiving Turkey might be more recent than you'd think.