In 1842, William Henry Johnson (aka Zip the Pinhead) was born into a destitute African-American family. His parents were Mahalia and William Johnson, both of which were former slaves. William was one of six children. His unique physical characteristics would soon become very beneficial for the Johnson family. Although the rest of William’s body grew as expected, his head seemed to remain the same. With a tapered cranium and heavy jaw, he caught the eye of agents from a circus in Somerville, New Jersey
Throughout history, society has had an impact on how everyone views things, especially who is “normal” and whom is a “freak”. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word freak as “a person, animal, or plant with an unusual physical abnormality” (n.2). The Oxford English Dictionary also defines the word freak as “a person regarded as strange because of their unusual appearance or behavior” (n.2.1). The last definition that the Oxford English Dictionary gives is “a person who is obsessed with or