Joice Heth

American performer

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Joice Heth was an enslaved African American woman who became one of P.T. Barnum's earliest and most sensational exhibits. Barnum advertised her as the 161-year-old nurse to George Washington, a claim that was later exposed as a hoax after her death. This exhibit, though fraudulent, was a significant early success for Barnum, helping to launch his career as a showman by capitalizing on public interest in unusual and sensational attractions. Heth's story highlights the exploitation common in 19th-century entertainment, where human curiosities were often presented for profit.1

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circus
History
…charlatan) in 1834 by promoting Joice Heth, an African American woman in her 80s, as the 161-year-old former nurse to George Washington. His next major enterprise was the acquisition of New York’s American Museum, which he turned into a showcase for the sensational and the bizarre. More than 82 million…
Read More
…charlatan) in 1834 by promoting Joice Heth, an African American woman in her 80s, as the 161-year-old former nurse to George Washington. His next major enterprise was the acquisition of New York’s American Museum, which he turned into a showcase for the sensational and the bizarre. More than 82 million…
Read More

freak show
In 1835 Barnum exhibited Joice Heth, ostensibly a 161-year-old African American woman who had been the nurse of George Washington, in the hall of a hotel in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She was a tremendous success, partially because of her flamboyant promotion and partially because her tales of Washington’s youth were…
Read More
In 1835 Barnum exhibited Joice Heth, ostensibly a 161-year-old African American woman who had been the nurse of George Washington, in the hall of a hotel in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She was a tremendous success, partially because of her flamboyant promotion and partially because her tales of Washington’s youth were…
Read More