P&t barnum biography
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P.T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum’s legacy lives on as one of the greatest American showmen. However, P.T. Barnum’s work in the American political arena is rarely brought to the forefront. Prior to establishing Barnum & Bailey Circus— one of the largest traveling circuses in the United States— Barnum used his passion for entertainment as a platform for political education and outreach during the Civil War.
Before the Civil War, P.T. Barnum reshaped the accessibility and content of popular American entertainment bygd introducing numerous museums, circuses, and forums accessible to America’s mittpunkt and lower class. Before P.T. Barnum, American entertainment consisted of high-brow theatre and musikdrama performances accessed primarily bygd members of the American elite class. Barnum funnen the working class’ inaccessibility to popular entertainment unfathomable, as he stated, “men, women and children, who cannot live on gravity alone, need something to satisfy their gayer, lighter mo
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P.T. Barnum
(1810-1891)
Who Was P.T. Barnum?
Born on July 5, 1810, in Bethel, Connecticut, P.T. Barnum became a successful promoter after moving to New York City. From 1841 to 1868, he ran the Barnum American Museum, which featured the "Feejee Mermaid," "General Tom Thumb" and other oddities.
In 1871, he launched the traveling spectacle that would eventually become the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. After an illustrious career, Barnum died in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on April 7, 1891.
Early Life and Family
Barnum was born Phineas Taylor Barnum on July 5, 1810, in Bethel, Connecticut. A natural salesman, he was peddling snacks and cherry rum to soldiers by age 12.
Barnum moved to New York City as a young man and tried his hand at a variety of businesses, including newspaper publishing and running a boarding house.
In 1835, Barnum's knack for promotion surfaced when he paid $1,000 for an elderly slave named Joice Heth. Claiming she was
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P. T. Barnum
American showman and politician (1810–1891)
"Barnum" redirects here. For other uses with the name Barnum, see Barnum (disambiguation).
Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.[1] He was also an author, publisher, and philanthropist, although he said of himself: "I am a showman by profession ... and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me."[2] According to Barnum's critics, his personal aim was "to put money in his own coffers".[2] The adage "there's a sucker born every minute" has frequently been attributed to him, although no evidence exists that he had coined the phrase.[3]
Barnum became a small-business owner in his early twenties and founded a weekly newspaper before moving to New York City in 1834. He embarked on