Turkey: American Turkeys

Turkey was an extremely important food for European colonists in North America. Because domesticated turkeys were plentiful in England by 1550, British colonists were familiar with turkey well before their ships landed in North America. In 1621 William Bradford reported that there “was a great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many.” Turkeys were also an important food source on the western frontier. Domesticated turkeys were imported from England into British North America soon after the establishment of English colonies.