Circus

Circus, traveling company of acrobats, clowns, and animals, who usually perform in tents. The modern circus originated in the English equestrian troupes of the late 18th century, and the first of these to visit the U.S. was the Rickett's Circus, which came to New York in 1795. The distinctive American type of traveling tent show had developed by 1850, when American troupes were already touring Europe. Famous clowns and impresarios have included John Robinson, Adam Forepaugh, the Sells brothers, Dan Rice, James A. Bailey, and the Ringling brothers, while P.T. Barnum's “greatest show on earth,” the most spectacular development of circus showmanship, was founded in 1871 and combined with that of Bailey in 1881. Since the time of Dan Rice, who was the last of the great “talking clowns” to perform in tents of moderate size, the circus has been devoted to large‐scale spectacles, pantomimic humor, equestrian and aerial acrobatics, menagerie and freak exhibitions, and such special features as Wild West shows patterned after that of Buffalo Bill. Nineteenth‐century circuses appear often in literature, including the boys' stories Toby Tyler by J.O. Kaler and Chad Hanna by Walter Edmonds.