Have a question? Need assistance? Use our online form to ask a librarian for help.
Chat with a librarian, Monday through Friday, 12-2 pm Eastern Time (except Federal Holidays).
Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Follow @ChronAmLOC External and subscribe to email alerts and RSS feeds.
Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
Step right up! Circuses appear across America, dazzling audiences with equestrian feats, exotic animals, and daring trapeze stunts. Every show is more incredible than the last, and people of all ages eagerly anticipate their town’s Circus Day. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
| 1793 - 1800 | John Bill Ricketts produces some of the first modern American circuses, and President George Washington is amongst the fans. |
|---|---|
| November 18, 1825 | In Wilmington, Delaware, Joshua Purdy Brown puts up the first circus tent, or “pavilion,” an innovation that would pave the way for traveling shows and multi-city tours. |
| March 28, 1881 | P.T. Barnum and James Bailey combine their shows and open a 3-ring circus for the first time in Madison Square Garden. |
| 1882 - 1885 | Jumbo, beloved circus elephant, draws large crowds to P.T. Barnum’s circus until his sudden death on September 15, 1885. |
| June 22, 1918 | The Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train is involved in one of the deadliest railroad wrecks in history. |
| March 29, 1919 | The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey merge, opening a super-circus that would become known worldwide for the next several decades. |
