P.T. Barnum Part One- Humbuggery At Its Finest

This week we are beginning the story of P.T. Barnum aka "The Greatest Showman". He was a showman, museum owner, international celebrity, Politician, and of course co-owner of the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

There is so much to get into in this story he was both a Con artist and a beloved entertainer, he maybe owned a slave woman for a short time but also became a big advocate for the abolitionist movement. He was a naturalist but also led to the deaths of SOOOO many elephants.

We will talk about his childhood and his wily grandfather who loved playing practical jokes including one particularly cruel joke played on Young PT Barnum that lasted for over 10 years. Then we get into some of Barnum's early schemes, hoaxes, and humbugs.

Then we will finish the episode with a very old blind slave woman named Joyce Heth who became Barnum's first major exhibition.

So much to get into and we hope you enjoy it!

Sources:

“Barnum: An American Life” by Robert Wilson(2020)

“Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked Tailed Elephant, PT Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison” By Michael Daly(2013)

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