HUMAN ZOOS: AMERICA'S DARKNESS

WE MUST KNOW, SO WE GROW WE MUST LEARN, SO WE NEVER FORGET WE MUST REMEMBER, SO TO NEVER REPEAT Long after slavery was abolished, the United States once again held human beings as possessions.

While as of late, PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) has persistently sought to close the Barnum and Bailey's Circus show for animal abuse, there was a time the famous American past time featured humans alongside the animals.

The circus show had long used animals and humans to create a show that brought thousands of Americans to gather at each stop they made on their trail across the United States. In fact it seems the world is good at erasing it's history specifically it's long history of viewing and using humans for entertainment purposes. After all the Human Circus' that carried into Human Zoos simply followed a pattern such as Columbus in 1493, took Native Americans home with him to Spain for display at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Then again we see humans on display alongside animals in the 1600s, courtesy of the Italian Medici Family dynasty's collection of animals and native people from Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa, India, Tartars from the Crimean Peninsula, all labeled as "Barbarians''.

Circus Star, Barnum's circus journey 1st started with his human display upon purchase of an African slave woman named Joice Heth for $1,000 from a Mr. R. W. Lindsay in 1835. Barnum displayed her as a 161-year-old former nanny to George Washington. Following Heth's death, Siamese born conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker filled her spot for over 5 years.

Chang and Eng Bunker are famously known for their large number of descendants, including Pulitzer Prize-winner composer Caroline Shaw; Alex Sink, former Chief Financial Officer of Florida and United States; and Air Force Major General Caleb V. Haynes.

Barnum's circus was known worldwide so it was no surprise when, Carl Hagenbeck, was looking for a more cost effective way to sustain his exotic animal business, as animals were very costly, and his friend, Heinrich Leutemann, suggested the idea to take humans instead, Hagenbeck thought his idea was brilliant.

This 'brilliant' idea then led to Indigenous people from all over the world, being taken from their homes, their land, their country, in efforts to gather examples of human evolution.  Once ripped from their homeland, even using force if necessary, they were brought to the United States and were kept like prisoners in cages. Enormous exhibits were built in Chicago and St Louis for the World Fair in 1893 and 1904.

The Indigenous people, often nude or barely clothed, were mocked, abused, and forced to dance, take photos, eat dogs, instructed to pretend they practiced cannabises, subjected to experiments, and were forced to entertain the American fair-goers in any way they demanded. They were not allowed to leave their exhibit, nor take breaks or defend themselves, though it is said they did receive some money for their 'services', any payment received was pennies and typically spent on food.

Human Zoos were well established in London, though the indigenous people were trained as performers, signed contracts and earned wages.  Human Zoos soon became all the rave, popping up in Paris where 34 MILLION people passed through during the 6 month exhibition, Russia, Australia, Japan, Manchester, and throughout Germany, many hosted by the Communist Party.

Viewing humans became such a popular entertainment indulgence in the United States, a Pigmy man, accompanied by his monkey, became a permanent exhibit at the Bronx Zoo, only one of two permanent Human Zoo Exhibits in the world, along with Berlin, Germany. TOUR THE US HUMAN ZOOS & MEET OTA BENGA, THE BRONX ZOO STABLE

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