Benjamin Reese discusses P.T. Barnum's career of hoaxes and humbugs

Benjamin Reese, an expert on 19th century American literature, describes P.T. Barnum's affinity for hoaxes, which he referred to as humbugs. Barnum believed that a good hoax should be entertaining for everyone involved and argued that as long as people still felt they were getting value for their money, it was not fraud. Reese also discusses Barnum's early life, from selling sweets as a child to setting up lotteries, and his various businesses and ventures. He discusses Barnum's first controversial exhibit, Joyce Heth, an enslaved, disabled woman who was exhibited as the nursemaid to George Washington. Reese highlights the exploitative and dehumanizing treatment Heth endured during her exhibition. He also mentions other examples of Barnum's questionable exhibits, such as a microcephalic black man presented as a wild beast. Despite Barnum's fame and success in the entertainment industry, he was marred by racism and his penchant for turning people's disabilities into public spectacle.