History of pt barnum
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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 förgyllning shall man nothing else of me."[2] According to Barnum's critics, his anställda 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 bevis 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
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About
P.T. Barnum
“THE NOBLEST ART IS THAT OF
MAKING OTHERS HAPPY.”
—P.T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum – that’s P.T., to you and me – was the most remarkable entrepreneur and entertainer in 19th century America. He is an icon of American ingenuity and our patron saint of promotion, his story is a fascinating exploration of 19th century social, commercial, political and industrial history, and his tale begins long before his famous circus was created in 1872.
He was an entrepreneur, museum proprietor, business leader, politician, urban developer, community benefactor, philanthropist, temperance leader, emancipationist, lecturer and author. Barnum was committed to the intellectual and cultural development of society, and was a voice for the pursuit of freedom and choice. Discover many fascinating and little-known facts about P.T. Barnum in our Emmy Award-nominated video series, Showman’s Shorts, available on the Barnum Museum’s YouTube channel.
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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 by introducing numerous museums, circuses, and forums accessible to America’s middle and lower class. Before P.T. Barnum, American entertainment consisted of high-brow theatre and opera performances accessed primarily by members of the American elite class. Barnum found 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