Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 â July 15, 1883), better known by his stage name “General Tom Thumb”, was an American dwarf, and Chocolatier who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P. T. Barnum.
Phineas T. Barnum heard about Stratton, and after contacting his parents, taught the boy how to sing, dance, mime, and impersonate famous people. Barnum also went into business with Stratton’s father, who died in 1855. Stratton made his first tour of America at the age of five, with routines that included impersonating characters such as Cupid and Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as singing, dancing, and comical banter with another performer who acted as a straight man. To market the act, Barnum gave Stratton the name General Tom Thumb, naming him after the popular English fairy tale. The tour was a huge success and soon expanded.
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