PT Barnum Had Many Gray Areas Which The Movie ‘The Greatest Showman’ Ignores

11Barnum created a legacy of chaining, whipping and beating animals

Lisa is of the view that it was actually Barnum who created the legacy of chaining, whipping and beating the animals in circuses all across the world. However, some of Barnum’s human attraction were treated better in comparison to animals.

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12His human attractions also suffered at the circus

There was a human attraction called Zip the Pinhead, who is also called as 'The What It Is? He was a dwarf who suffered from a disease called microcephaly. Because of the disease, his head was tapered at the top. Barnum used to tell the punters that Zip the Pinhead was a missing link between man and ape. As a matter of fact, he was born as William Henry Johnson in New Jersey. As he was born in poor family, his parents handed him to circus in return of some money.

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13Barnum used to buy slaves when slavery was banned in America

Also among his exploits included Joice Heth who was partially blind and partially paralyzed slave. He bought him when slavery was banned in New York. He bought Joice for £1,000.

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