🤩 Incredible Facts Found About🤹♂️P.T. Barnum 🐘 Revealed!
P.T. Barnum was a legendary showman in the 19th century, and here are ten things you may not know about him:
1. From an early age, Barnum was an entrepreneur. He sold snacks and homemade cherry rum during local gatherings in Bethel, Connecticut, and by age 12, he had made enough money to buy his own livestock. By 21, he owned a general store, a small lottery, and even his own newspaper called the "Herald of Freedom."
2. He rose to prominence with a famous hoax. In 1835, he purchased Joice Heth, a blind slave who was claimed to be the 161-year-old former nurse of George Washington. After billing Heth as "the most astonishing and interesting curiosity in the world," Barnum put her on display in New York and took her on a tour of New England. The truth about Heth was revealed after her death in February 1836, during a public autopsy that was staged by Barnum for a 50 cent admission fee. It was revealed that she was likely no older than 80.
3. Barnum didn't enter the circus business until later in life. He is best known for his traveling three-ring circuses, but he didn't start working in that field until he was 60 years old. Before that, he was known for owning the American Museum in Manhattan, which was a collection of historical artifacts, aquariums, animal menageries, zoological curiosities, and freak shows. Some of the museum's most notable exhibits included General Tom Thumb, a child dwarf who Barnum brought to meet Queen Victoria of Britain, and the "Fejee Mermaid," which was actually the upper half of a monkey sewn to the bottom of a fish. Barnum started his traveling circus after his museum was destroyed by fire twice. He later partnered with James Bailey in 1881 and the two ran the "Greatest Show on Earth."
4. He helped popularize opera in the United States. Despite his association with sideshow acts, Barnum also introduced many Americans to high culture. In 1850, he brought European opera singer Jenny Lind to the United States on a tour. Lind was not well-known before her arrival, but Barnum cultivated her fame with a media campaign and a nationwide contest to write a song for her to sing onstage. With his help, the "Swedish Nightingale" became a sensation, and Barnum reportedly made $500,000 from the tour. Lind's popularity helped establish opera as a regular feature in American theaters.
5. Barnum never said "there's a sucker born every minute." The phrase is often attributed to him, but there is no evidence that he ever said it. The exact origins of the phrase are unclear, but some speculate that one of Barnum's rivals may have said it after seeing crowds lined up for one of his exhibits. Barnum always maintained that his patrons were not "suckers" but rather willing participants in his lighthearted pranks and hoaxes.
6. His famous elephant "Jumbo" is the mascot of Tufts University. In 1882, Barnum bought a giant African elephant named "Jumbo" from the London Zoological Society. The sale caused controversy in Britain, where the animal was a beloved national treasure, but it sparked "Jumbomania" in the United States. People flocked to Barnum's circus to see Jumbo, and bought Jumbo-themed souvenirs. Jumbo's fame even helped popularize the term "jumbo" to describe anything large. Tragically, Jumbo was hit by a train and killed in 1885. His stuffed body is on display at Tufts University.
7. He used his circus animals to test the strength of the Brooklyn Bridge. After the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, rumors that it was structurally unsound led to a stampede that left a dozen people dead. The bridge's owners had previously turned down a $5,000 offer from Barnum to let him parade his circus animals across it as a publicity stunt, but they changed their minds after the accident. On May 17, 1884, Barnum marched 21 elephants and 17 camels over the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn. The famous Jumbo was part of the procession, as was "Toung Taloung," a white elephant Barnum had recently acquired from Thailand. The parade was a valuable piece of advertising for Barnum's circus, and the combined weight of the elephants - many of which weighed over 10,000 pounds - helped to allay any concerns about the bridge's stability.
8. Barnum was a prominent supporter of the temperance movement. While Barnum used to enjoy wine and scotch in his younger days, he swore off alcohol entirely after attending a lecture by a pro-temperance reverend in the late 1840s. He remained a teetotaler and prohibition advocate for the rest of his life, and gave speeches on the dangers of alcohol. Drinking was prohibited in his American Museum, and visitors to its lecture room could see performances of "The Drunkard," a play about alcoholism. Barnum liked to say that both he and his circus animals only drank "water," but his famous elephant Jumbo reportedly loved beer and was known for his ability to drink a full keg in one sitting.
9. Barnum also had a career in politics. He first entered politics in 1865 when he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly as a Republican. Despite previously owning the slave Joice Heth, he quickly became one of the legislature's strongest advocates for African American equality and voting rights. He later ran for the US Congress against a distant relative also named Barnum, but lost in a contentious campaign. After serving as mayor of his adopted hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Barnum returned to the Connecticut legislature in the late 1870s and became a leading advocate for pro-temperance reforms and the abolition of the death penalty.
10. He spent years writing and updating his autobiography. In addition to his reputation as the "Prince of Humbugs," Barnum's fame was also due to the success of his autobiography. "The Life of P.T. Barnum, Written by Himself" was first published in 1854 and was then continuously revised and reissued in the following decades. New editions and appendices were released nearly annually, and Barnum increased sales by putting the book in the public domain and allowing anyone to publish it. He even instructed his widow to write a new chapter about the events of his 1891 death. The book sold over 1 million copies during Barnum's lifetime.
P.T. Barnum was a famous 19th century showman and entrepreneur known for his traveling three-ring circuses and his ownership of the American Museum in New York City. Here are 10 things you may not know about him:
Barnum was an entrepreneur from a young age, selling snacks and homemade cherry rum at local gatherings, and by age 12 had made enough money to purchase his own livestock. He also owned a general store, a small lottery, and a newspaper called the "Herald of Freedom."
He gained fame by engineering a famous hoax in 1835, when he purchased Joice Heth, a blind slave claimed to be the 161-year-old former nurse of George Washington. After billing Heth as a "curiosity," Barnum put her on display in New York and took her on a tour of New England. The truth about her age was revealed after her death in 1836 during a public autopsy, which showed she was likely no older than 80.
Barnum didn't go into the circus business until later in life, at age 60. Before that, he was known for the American Museum, which contained historical artifacts, animal menageries, and freak shows, including General Tom Thumb and the "Fejee Mermaid." He started his traveling circus after his museum was destroyed by fire twice.
Barnum helped popularize opera in the United States by bringing European opera singer Jenny Lind to the country for a multi-city tour in 1850. He promoted Lind's tour with a media blitz and a nationwide contest to write a song for her to sing. Lind's popularity helped make opera a mainstay in American theaters.
The phrase "there's a sucker born every minute" is often attributed to Barnum, but there is no evidence he ever said it. Some believe it may have been coined by one of his rivals.
Jumbo, a 6-ton African elephant purchased by Barnum from the London Zoological Society in 1882, became a beloved mascot and symbol of Tufts University in Massachusetts after the animal's untimely death in a train accident.
Barnum was a strong abolitionist and supported the women's suffrage movement. He was also a philanthropist and donated money to various causes, including the construction of a hospital in his hometown.
Barnum was a successful politician and served as a member of the Connecticut legislature and later as mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
He was married twice and had six children.
Barnum's name is synonymous with circus entertainment, and he is credited with popularizing the term "show business."
1. From an early age, Barnum was an entrepreneur. He sold snacks and homemade cherry rum during local gatherings in Bethel, Connecticut, and by age 12, he had made enough money to buy his own livestock. By 21, he owned a general store, a small lottery, and even his own newspaper called the "Herald of Freedom."
2. He rose to prominence with a famous hoax. In 1835, he purchased Joice Heth, a blind slave who was claimed to be the 161-year-old former nurse of George Washington. After billing Heth as "the most astonishing and interesting curiosity in the world," Barnum put her on display in New York and took her on a tour of New England. The truth about Heth was revealed after her death in February 1836, during a public autopsy that was staged by Barnum for a 50 cent admission fee. It was revealed that she was likely no older than 80.
3. Barnum didn't enter the circus business until later in life. He is best known for his traveling three-ring circuses, but he didn't start working in that field until he was 60 years old. Before that, he was known for owning the American Museum in Manhattan, which was a collection of historical artifacts, aquariums, animal menageries, zoological curiosities, and freak shows. Some of the museum's most notable exhibits included General Tom Thumb, a child dwarf who Barnum brought to meet Queen Victoria of Britain, and the "Fejee Mermaid," which was actually the upper half of a monkey sewn to the bottom of a fish. Barnum started his traveling circus after his museum was destroyed by fire twice. He later partnered with James Bailey in 1881 and the two ran the "Greatest Show on Earth."
4. He helped popularize opera in the United States. Despite his association with sideshow acts, Barnum also introduced many Americans to high culture. In 1850, he brought European opera singer Jenny Lind to the United States on a tour. Lind was not well-known before her arrival, but Barnum cultivated her fame with a media campaign and a nationwide contest to write a song for her to sing onstage. With his help, the "Swedish Nightingale" became a sensation, and Barnum reportedly made $500,000 from the tour. Lind's popularity helped establish opera as a regular feature in American theaters.
5. Barnum never said "there's a sucker born every minute." The phrase is often attributed to him, but there is no evidence that he ever said it. The exact origins of the phrase are unclear, but some speculate that one of Barnum's rivals may have said it after seeing crowds lined up for one of his exhibits. Barnum always maintained that his patrons were not "suckers" but rather willing participants in his lighthearted pranks and hoaxes.
6. His famous elephant "Jumbo" is the mascot of Tufts University. In 1882, Barnum bought a giant African elephant named "Jumbo" from the London Zoological Society. The sale caused controversy in Britain, where the animal was a beloved national treasure, but it sparked "Jumbomania" in the United States. People flocked to Barnum's circus to see Jumbo, and bought Jumbo-themed souvenirs. Jumbo's fame even helped popularize the term "jumbo" to describe anything large. Tragically, Jumbo was hit by a train and killed in 1885. His stuffed body is on display at Tufts University.
7. He used his circus animals to test the strength of the Brooklyn Bridge. After the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, rumors that it was structurally unsound led to a stampede that left a dozen people dead. The bridge's owners had previously turned down a $5,000 offer from Barnum to let him parade his circus animals across it as a publicity stunt, but they changed their minds after the accident. On May 17, 1884, Barnum marched 21 elephants and 17 camels over the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn. The famous Jumbo was part of the procession, as was "Toung Taloung," a white elephant Barnum had recently acquired from Thailand. The parade was a valuable piece of advertising for Barnum's circus, and the combined weight of the elephants - many of which weighed over 10,000 pounds - helped to allay any concerns about the bridge's stability.
8. Barnum was a prominent supporter of the temperance movement. While Barnum used to enjoy wine and scotch in his younger days, he swore off alcohol entirely after attending a lecture by a pro-temperance reverend in the late 1840s. He remained a teetotaler and prohibition advocate for the rest of his life, and gave speeches on the dangers of alcohol. Drinking was prohibited in his American Museum, and visitors to its lecture room could see performances of "The Drunkard," a play about alcoholism. Barnum liked to say that both he and his circus animals only drank "water," but his famous elephant Jumbo reportedly loved beer and was known for his ability to drink a full keg in one sitting.
9. Barnum also had a career in politics. He first entered politics in 1865 when he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly as a Republican. Despite previously owning the slave Joice Heth, he quickly became one of the legislature's strongest advocates for African American equality and voting rights. He later ran for the US Congress against a distant relative also named Barnum, but lost in a contentious campaign. After serving as mayor of his adopted hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Barnum returned to the Connecticut legislature in the late 1870s and became a leading advocate for pro-temperance reforms and the abolition of the death penalty.
10. He spent years writing and updating his autobiography. In addition to his reputation as the "Prince of Humbugs," Barnum's fame was also due to the success of his autobiography. "The Life of P.T. Barnum, Written by Himself" was first published in 1854 and was then continuously revised and reissued in the following decades. New editions and appendices were released nearly annually, and Barnum increased sales by putting the book in the public domain and allowing anyone to publish it. He even instructed his widow to write a new chapter about the events of his 1891 death. The book sold over 1 million copies during Barnum's lifetime
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