The Circus in America: 1793 - 1940

The first American circus was presented on April 3, 1793 in Philadelphia, PA. President George Washington saw the show twice. John Bill Ricketts organized the first show, which included horses, an acrobat, a clown and a rope-walker. The first circus tent was used in America in 1825. Until then, the word 'circus' didn't mean the show. It meant the temporary wood and canvas building where the show took place.

The Circus in America: 1793-1940 surveys the history of the American circus over a 150-year period. It promotes serious scholarly research of the significant role the circus played in the growth of American society and popular culture.