Benjamin Franklin did have surprisingly strong opinions about turkeys. He did not, however, propose making the turkey America’s national bird.
Where the turkey story came from
The myth traces back to a 1784 letter Franklin wrote to his daughter. In it, he criticized the bald eagle’s character and said the turkey was, by comparison, a more respectable native bird.
That is a very Franklin thing to write. It is not the same thing as submitting a turkey design for the Great Seal or campaigning to replace the eagle.
Franklin did criticize the eagle
Franklin’s letter mocked the bald eagle as lazy and dishonest because it sometimes takes fish caught by other birds. He then gave the turkey a much kinder review, describing it as native, respectable and courageous.
Over time, that colorful comparison got compressed into a cleaner story: “Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird.” Cleaner, yes. Accurate, no.
Did Franklin propose the turkey as the national bird?
No. The Franklin Institute specifically identifies that claim as a myth. Franklin praised the turkey in a private letter, but there is no evidence that he formally proposed it as the national emblem.
So the turkey was never robbed of a government job. It simply got a good performance review from Benjamin Franklin.
Source: The Franklin Institute.