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Book engraving of photograph of Phineas Taylor Barnum by Unknown author-

Top 10 Facts about P.T Barnum

Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American businessman, politician, author, publisher and philanthropist.

He was born on 5^th July 1810, Bethel, Connecticut, United States.

Barnum married Charity Hallett from 1829 until her death in 1873, and they had four children. In 1874, a few months after his wife’s death, he married Nancy Fish.

Barnum is most famous for putting hoaxes. He founded the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

1.Barnum was a showman

P. T. Barnum portrait. Engraved by E. Teel from a daguerreotype by Root-

Barnum was 25 when he started his career as a showman. He pulled a stunt by purchasing a blind slave, Joyce Heth, who he passed as 161 years old.

In 1835 owning slaves was already outlawed but he found a loophole which allowed him to lease her for 1000$. He was so sure the hoax would work that he borrowed 500$ to complete the purchase.

He worked her for 10 to 12 hours in a day. When she died he pulled an even greater hoax. He performed a public autopsy on her to prove she was as old as he was passing. He charged 50 cents per person. When it finally became known that she was only indeed 80 years old, he had already made a killing!

2. He started the circus at 60 years old!

The circus is what he is well known for and he only started on it when he was senior citizen. Before Barnum and Bailey, the company had gone through several other names. It was a travelling circus and purchasing its own train expanded its geographical outreach. It involved acrobats and freak shows.

He looked to attract people by use of human curiosities, dramatic theatricals, beauty contests, and other sensational attractions. Anything unusual or bizarre went to his circus. One of the first public attractions was an African elephant that Barnum had purchased in a zoo.

3.He performed for Queen Victoria

P.T. Barnum and General Tom Thumb. Google Art Project by Samuel Root or Marcus Aurelius Root –

Barnum received an invitation to perform for the queen in 1844. He figured his golden ticket would be General Tom Thumb. Thumb’s real name was Charles Stratton. He was a dwarf. He was a 4 years old when Barnum met him but passed him off as 11 years old.

Thumb’s performance was to act as general Napoleon, sing and dance. The whole performance in front of the queen and her subjects was a hilarious one but left the queen feeling sorry for the young boy. This act shot up Barnum’s popularity and made him more money.

4.Barnum was a good liar

Feejee Mermaid. P. T. Barnums – –

Barnum’s profession was all about passing out ridiculous stunts as true. It required him to lie for entertainment purposes.

One of his major hoaxes was when showcasing a ‘Fiji Mermaid’. This turned out to be an orangutan’s body sewn onto a fish tail and topped with a baboon’s head. His argument was that his intention was not to dupe the public, but to attract them mesmerize them.

5.Barnum was very involved in politics

Honorable Phineas T. Barnum. Library of Congress Catalog-

Barnum was elected to the Connecticut legislature in 1865 and served for four terms.

In 1875, he was elected mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut. His objectives were to improve the water supply, bring gas lighting to streets, and enforce liquor and prostitution laws. He played a major role in starting Bridgeport Hospital, founded in 1878, and was became its first president.

6.He did not support slavery

In the times leading up to the Civil War, Barnum concentrated on race, slavery, and sectionalism. He left the Democratic Party which condoned and endorsed slavery and joined the Anti-slavery Republican Party.

He even publically admitted to have owned and whipped his slaves and suggested that he should have been whipped himself for such acts.

7. He got rich by exploiting animals and other peoples’ disabilities

Barnum did not see himself as an exploiter rather than an entertainer. However many of his showcases were persons who looked different.

For example the conjoined twins, Chang and Eng Bucker, who toured all over the US with Barnum serving as an attraction.

It was also said that Barnum volunteered his 21 elephants to test out the Brooklyn Bridge that had been built but people were apprehensive about.

8.Barnum was a strategist and a marketing genius

P. T. Barnums Tournee with Jenny Lind. Picture by Zeitgenössische Karikatur –

Barnum first heard of Jenny Lind in 1850 during his European tour. Jenny was an opera singer. Though being unmusical, he became very interested.

He approached her to sing in America for 1000$ for 150 nights all other expenses paid. Jenny requested an advance. Barnum did not have that much money and resulted to heavy borrowing and putting a loan on his mansion.

After a contract was drawn, Barnum got into work. He marketed Jenny and even before she arrived in America she was somewhat a celebrity. Thousands of people came to meet her at the dock. She realized that much more money would be made by Barnum so she negotiated for a new contract with better terms.

She performed and it was an instant success. The press described it as the Lind mania. Her performances were so publicized by Barnum that he resulted to auctioning for tickets. After a while this craze did not sit well with Jenny and had to amicably pull out. Barnum made four times his initial capital!

9.Barnum dropped his daughter from his will for committing adultery

One of his daughters who were bound to inherit her father was thrown out of the will for committing adultery. He was disappointed to never having a male heir so he made a sizeable bequest to his grandson. His only condition is that the grandson would take up his name, Barnum.

10.His second wife was 40 years his junior

Nancy Fish Barnum. Photo by Hargrave & Grubelman –

Barnum first wife died in 1873.  He took  Nancy Fish as his wife . She was his friend’s daughter. This was less than a year after his first wife’s demise.  It had been prior rumored that the two were in a relationship before his wife died.

At 81 years he became very ill. At his request, a newspaper published his obituary in advance in order for him to enjoy it. He later died of a stroke in 1891 and was buried in a cemetery he had designed.