Lost Chapters
The Circus: Cobalt Location
The American circus began in Philadelphia in the 1790s, when British horseman John Bill Ricketts opened a riding ring that became America's first circus, and President George Washington was among his fans. It grew with the circus tent in 1825, railroad travel after the Civil War, P.T. Barnum and James Bailey's three-ring show in 1881, and the 1919 merger of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey shows.
- Cost
- 4 crystals
- Type
- Location · Outdoor
- Color
- Cobalt (Thinkers & Dreamers)
- Rarity
- Common
- Set
- Liberty & Lightning (Set 1)
Your Free Spirits get +1/+1.
Spectacular showcase where exotic animals, daredevils, and clowns combine for family entertainment under a towering canvas tent.
The real history
The American circus began in Philadelphia. A British horseman named John Bill Ricketts, who followed the style of the English showman Philip Astley, arrived in the city in 1792 and built an amphitheater for a riding ring. In 1793 he began presenting what is remembered as America's first circus. As his show grew he added tightrope walkers, acrobats, a band and clowns around the daring horse riding at its center. President George Washington attended, and the two men sometimes rode together. In 1799 a fire destroyed Ricketts' Philadelphia amphitheater, and he sailed for England, where his ship was lost at sea.
Early circuses played in buildings and open arenas. That changed on November 18, 1825, when Joshua Purdy Brown put up the first circus tent, which he called a pavilion, in Wilmington, Delaware. A tent could be packed up and carried from town to town. A circus parade through Albany in 1837 helped make parades part of circus day.
After the Civil War, circuses began to travel by railroad, which let them grow and reach larger cities. P.T. Barnum spent about a third of his circus budget on advertising. On March 28, 1881, Barnum and James Bailey combined their shows and opened the first three-ring circus at Madison Square Garden. Their star, Jumbo the elephant, drew crowds from 1882 until his death in 1885.
On March 29, 1919, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circuses merged into a super-circus that became known around the world.
Sources
- Circus: Topics in Chronicling America, Library of Congress
- Greatest Show on Earth: The Business of the Early Traveling Circus, Library of Congress, Inside Adams
- Ricketts Circus Historical Marker, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Explore PA History
How the card plays
The Circus costs 4 crystals and is a Cobalt Location. Its text is simple: your Free Spirits get +1/+1. It does nothing by itself, so it is worth playing only when you have Free Spirits to boost.
The best partner is P.T. Barnum, Ringleader, P.T. Barnum, whose on-play effect rests an enemy character and also draws you a card if you control The Circus, so play the Location first. John Henry, Master of Machine, John Henry, gets +1/+0 for each other Free Spirit you control, which stacks nicely with the extra stats. Molly Pitcher, Cannoneer, Molly Pitcher, is a cheap Free Spirit that becomes a 2/2 while the Location stands, and her Lightning 1 still lands the moment she arrives. Build a deck with several Free Spirits, and keep The Circus in play as long as you can.
- Playable in decks led by Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong, and by any Traveler Leader whose colors include Cobalt.
- In the Dr. King starter deck (1 copy). Deck code:
LC2-BAABAQICAQMBBAEFAQYBBwEIAQkCCgILAQwBDQIOAg8BEAIRARICEwIUAhUBFgEXARgBGQEaARsBHAEdAR4B3v4 - In the Armstrong starter deck (1 copy). Deck code:
LC2-AQABAQECAQMBBAEFAQYBBwEIAgkCCgILAQwBDQIOAQ8BEAERARICEwIUARUBFgEXARgBGQEaARsBHAIdAR4BfQK1eQ - Works with P.T. Barnum, Ringleader.
- A deck holds up to 3 copies of this card.
Questions about The Circus
Who started the first circus in America?
John Bill Ricketts, a British-born rider, opened America's first circus in Philadelphia in 1793. President George Washington attended his shows.
When did the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circuses merge?
They merged on March 29, 1919, creating a combined show that became famous around the world.
Related cards
Free in your browser. No download.
Play The Circus free