P.T Barnum’s Greatest Creation: The Greatest Show on Earth She, therefore, took pleasure in talking to people and making up stories about caring for George Washington. Although Heth was never close to her reported age of 161, she was old and had limited mobility. Having done his best to establish Heth and her story, Barnum started touring with Heth and charged people to see and talk to her. He went further by writing and publishing her biography, The Life of Joice Heth, the Nurse of George Washington. He hoped that by presenting her alongside with the papers to these ministers, his claims would become substantiated and believed. To lend credence to his claims and stories, he forged baptism documents and sent an intermediary ahead to schedule meetings for Heth with ministers. Some also argued that while Barnum freed Heth from slavery, he kept her in his employment. Sensing an opportunity, Barnum purchased the slave and stuck to the promoter’s story, who claimed that Heth was 161 years old at the time. The promoter was exhibiting a slave named Joice Heth, whom he claimed was George Washington’s mammy. P.T Barnum’s first foray into the showmanship business began in 1835 when he met a promoter whose fortunes were dwindling.
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