The Rappings That Shook the World

May 18

If you know anything at all about life in the mid-19th century, you know that it was rough. It was a time of massive industrial growth, the looming Civil War, and transformation as the railroads and telegraphs transformed travel and communication. Death was a large part of everyday life, as the average life expectancy at birth was relatively low due to high infant and child mortality rates. So when three sisters up in Hydesville, New York, claimed they were able to communicate with dead people, word spread FAST. And what started as a prank grew into a religion still practiced today.

*Photo from:* *Smithsonianmag.com- The Fox sisters: Leah, Kate, Maggie (L-R).*

The Fox sisters, Leah, Margaretta or Maggie, and Catherine (Kate) started reporting strange noises - taps, knocks, and rappings that seemed to intelligently respond to questions. Leah Fox, the oldest of the three sisters, took Maggie, 14, and Kate, 11, on the road and advertised them as psychic mediums, showcasing their supposed ability to communicate with unseen spirits. The sisters held public demonstrations of these “spirit rappings”, and as you can imagine, they garnered a lot of attention. People soon began paying money to see the Fox sisters in action.

The Fox sisters’ claims helped spark a widespread interest and belief that communicating with loved ones after they died was possible, and contributed to the rapid growth of the Spiritualist movement, a religious movement based on the belief that the dead could interact with the living. Séances and psychic mediums became popular across the U.S. and Europe, as people sought ways to connect with their dead loved ones. Spiritualism exploded in the 1860s, with many Americans searching for solace with the devastation of the Civil War, as well as the desire for a more personal and evidential form of religion.

Throughout their careers, the Fox sisters were met with skepticism and attempts to discredit them and expose their methods. In 1888, Maggie confessed that the rappings were a hoax, demonstrating that she and Kate were able to make the sounds by cracking their knuckles and toes. She later retracted this confession, however, adding further complexity to the story.

The Spiritualist movement continued to gain momentum, however, and séances became the new parlor game. Psychic mediums popped up everywhere, promising connection with departed loved ones and the opportunity to find out just exactly under what floorboard grandma hid that massive emerald worth the family fortune.

Written by: Andronike James

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Sources:

The William G. Pomeroy Founation - The Fox Sisters

History.com - How a Hoax by Two Sisters Helped Spark the Spiritualism Craze

Smithsonian Magazine - The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism