Making History Come Alive presents the amazing story of General Tom Thumb from promotion of P.T Barnum

Charles Sherwood Stratton, known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb," was one of the most famous little people of the 19th century, achieving worldwide celebrity under the promotion of showman P.T. Barnum. Born on January 4, 1838, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Stratton would grow to be an emblem of the era's fascination with novelty acts and human curiosities that featured prominently in traveling circuses and sideshows.

Stratton began to show signs of growth delay around the age of six months, and by the time he was four years old, he had grown only to the height of 25 inches. It was around this age that he was discovered by P.T. Barnum, who was a distant relative and already a well-known impresario. Barnum, recognizing the potential for drawing large audiences, offered Stratton's family a lucrative contract to exhibit their son as part of his collection of attractions.

Barnum ingeniously rechristened Charles as "General Tom Thumb," an allusion to the folkloric character of English legend known for his diminutive size. He trained the young Stratton to sing, dance, mime, and deliver comedic performances, all the while dressing him in miniature versions of adult costumes, which contributed to the charming and sometimes comedic effect of his performances.

Tom Thumb's act was a blend of entertainment and spectacle, as audiences were both charmed by his talents and intrigued by his small stature. Barnum's marketing strategies were a masterclass in hyperbole and showmanship; he fabricated tales about Tom Thumb's background, claiming he was from England and had been a nobleman, stories that were designed to add further allure and mystique to the performances.

The success of Tom Thumb was not limited to American soil. In 1844, Barnum took him on a tour to Europe, where he performed before royalty and high society. One of the most notable moments of his career was an audience with Queen Victoria, who was said to have been amused and delighted by the performance. Tom Thumb's international fame only grew, and he became a symbol of American entertainment, an icon whose image was recognizable across continents.

Stratton's celebrity status afforded him a luxurious lifestyle, which included custom-made clothing, carriages, and eventually, a lavish wedding to Lavinia Warren, another little person, in 1863. The wedding was a sensational event, covered by newspapers around the world, further cementing Stratton's position as a public figure of considerable interest