History of the Circus
The term circus, means a large public entertainment featuring performing animals, feats of skill, daring pageantry and clowns, according to Random House College Dictionary.
The term circus means ring or circle in the Roman
world. The Roman circus was very dangerous, star performers risked
their lives; sometimes, they were eaten by lions, or killed in bloody combat.
The bloodier it was the more the audience was enticed. People were killing
people, animals were killing animals, and animals were killing people.
The modern circus was invented in England by Philip Astley from 1742-1814. He originally wanted to open a riding school, but didn't have the funds. When he arrived at Islington he wanted to learn the art of presenting a show. Soon after, he had enough money to move to Thames and purchased land. He built the first circus building and designed the first circular ring. He also was responsible for introducing the circus into many European countries.
In 1782 he opened the first circus in Paris called the Amphitheater Anglois.
It also became a new form of entertainment in America, with the first show in Philadelphia on April 3, 1793 and it soon spread to other states.
Early traveling shows were simple, consisting of jugglers, rope dancers, acrobats, and horses. This changed with the technology of tents and the American
railways. Soon circuses began to travel and relied heavily on trains. Exotic
animals and vendors became more frequent and circuses soon had a large following. By the end of the century the circus was a form of family entertainment, as it still is today.
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