Joice Heth

Biography

Joice Heth (c. 1756 – February 19, 1836) was an enslaved African-American woman who was exhibited in the United States during the final months of her life. In 1835, showman P. T. Barnum promoted her with the false claim that she was the 161-year-old former wet nurse of George Washington, helping to launch his career while making Heth one of the most widely publicized performers of the era.

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