Talking to the Dead

1. The Hydesville Raps: A Mysterious Beginning

Raps had broken out in his house more loudly than ever, and his wife, Margaret, had determined that they were caused by the spirit of a murdered man whose remains lay buried in the cellar.

Strange sounds appear. In March 1848, in the small farming community of Hydesville, New York, the Fox family began hearing inexplicable rapping noises in their rented farmhouse, particularly at night. The sounds, initially dismissed as drafts or rodents, grew louder and more persistent, terrifying the two youngest daughters, Kate (11) and Maggie (14). Their parents, John and Margaret Fox, searched the house repeatedly but found no natural explanation.

Intelligent communication emerges. One evening, Margaret Fox challenged the noises, asking them to count or respond to questions. To her astonishment, the raps seemed to answer intelligently, mimicking counts and responding with distinct patterns for "yes" or "no." This interaction quickly led Margaret to believe the sounds were caused by a spirit. Neighbors were summoned, and through a laborious process of asking questions and using the alphabet, the spirit identified itself as Charles B. Rosna, a peddler murdered in the house years earlier and buried in the cellar.

Investigation and initial belief. News of the "mysterious noises" spread rapidly, drawing hundreds of curious onlookers to the small farmhouse. Committees were formed to investigate, digging in the cellar where the spirit claimed to be buried. While rising water thwarted deep excavation, they did find bone fragments and pottery, which some took as confirmation of the spirit's story. Despite skepticism and accusations of pranks, many witnesses, including respected community members, were genuinely baffled by the sounds and convinced of an unseen intelligence at work.

2. The Fox Sisters: Unlikely Catalysts for a Movement

Amid the clamor of voices, noises, and surging crowds, Kate and Maggie are silent.

Children as conduits. Though initially terrified by the raps, Kate and Maggie quickly became central to the phenomena. The raps seemed to follow them, particularly Kate, and were strongest in their presence. This led their mother and others to believe the girls were mediums, individuals capable of facilitating communication with the spirit world. Their youth and apparent innocence made them seem like pure, uncorrupted channels for otherworldly messages.

Separation proves futile. An early attempt to stop the disturbances involved separating the sisters, sending Kate to live with her older sister Leah in Rochester. However, the raps followed Kate, and new manifestations continued with Maggie in Hydesville, demonstrating that the phenomena were not confined to the house or a single child, but seemed tied to both girls. This suggested a broader spiritual presence rather than a localized haunting.

From terror to performance. The sisters, initially passive recipients of the raps, soon became active participants, developing methods like using the alphabet to spell out detailed messages. Their ability to seemingly communicate with the dead transformed them from frightened children into the focal points of a burgeoning movement. Their unique connection to the spirit world, whether genuine or performed, positioned them as the key figures in what would become Modern Spiritualism.

3. Spiritualism's Appeal: Comfort in a Changing World

Faith in the power of good and evil spirits is ancient, although ideas about the nature of these entities differ from culture to culture.

A nation in transition. The mid-19th century in America was a time of rapid change, marked by westward expansion, urbanization, industrialization, and significant social and religious upheaval. High mortality rates, particularly among children, made death a constant presence. Traditional religious doctrines, like Calvinist predestination and the fear of hell, felt increasingly out of step with a society focused on progress and individual agency.

Seeking tangible proof. Many Americans struggled to reconcile traditional faith with the advancements of science, which offered empirical explanations for the world but little comfort regarding the afterlife. Spiritualism offered a compelling alternative: tangible evidence that death was merely a transition and that the spirits of loved ones survived and could communicate. This provided immense solace to the bereaved and a sense of continuity in a fragmented world.

Democratic and accessible. Unlike established religious hierarchies or esoteric mystical traditions, early Spiritualism, centered around the accessible raps and the seemingly ordinary Fox sisters, felt democratic and participatory. Anyone could potentially receive messages, and the spirits themselves often conveyed messages of progress, reform (like abolition), and a benevolent afterlife where all souls could advance. This resonated with the era's reform movements and emphasis on individual perfectibility.

4. Testing the Spirits: Science, Skepticism, and Belief Collide

After “three days of the strictest scrutiny by means of intelligence, candor and science, were the persons in whose presence these sounds are heard, acquitted of any fraud.”

Public demonstrations begin. Following the initial events, the Fox sisters, guided by their older sister Leah, began holding public demonstrations and private seances. These events, often held in parlors or public halls like Rochester's Corinthian Hall, attracted large crowds of believers, skeptics, and the merely curious. The sisters and their supporters aimed to prove the authenticity of the spirit communications through observable phenomena.

Rigorous (and invasive) investigations. Skeptics, including scientists, doctors, and journalists, subjected the sisters to numerous tests designed to expose fraud. These investigations were often physically invasive, involving:

• Holding the sisters' hands and feet
• Examining their bodies and clothing for hidden devices
• Placing them on non-conductive materials like glass or pillows
• Requiring them to sit or stand in awkward positions

Lack of definitive proof. Despite intense scrutiny over many years, investigators consistently failed to definitively prove how the raps and other phenomena were produced. While some suspected toe or knee cracking, others ventriloquism or collusion, no one could replicate the effects under controlled conditions or catch the sisters in overt trickery. This persistent mystery fueled both belief in spiritual agency and accusations of cunning deception.

5. The Mediums' Lives: Fame, Fortune, and Personal Cost

Fame was theirs but at the cost of notoriety.

A new profession emerges. The Fox sisters became celebrities, traveling across the country and charging fees for their seances. This provided them with financial independence, a rare achievement for women of their time, particularly those without inherited wealth or a husband's support. They could afford comfortable homes, travel, and luxuries, lifting them above their modest origins.

Pressures of public life. The constant demand for demonstrations, the grueling investigations, and the relentless public scrutiny took a heavy toll. The sisters were subjected to physical examinations, accusations of fraud and immorality, and the emotional burden of mediating between the living and the dead, often for grieving individuals. This intense pressure contributed to their later struggles.

Personal struggles and reputation. Despite achieving financial success and moving in influential circles, the sisters' unconventional profession and public exposure damaged their reputations, particularly in a society that valued female domesticity and modesty. Their later struggles with alcoholism, possibly exacerbated by the stress and the availability of alcohol in medicines, further alienated them from mainstream society and even some within the Spiritualist movement.

6. Love and Loss: Maggie Fox and Elisha Kent Kane

"Remember then, as a sort of dream, that Doctor Kane of the Arctic Seas loved Maggie Fox of the Spirit Rappings."

A celebrated romance. In 1852, Maggie Fox, then 19, met Elisha Kent Kane, a famous Arctic explorer from a prominent Philadelphia family. Despite his family's social standing and his own skepticism about Spiritualism, Kane was captivated by Maggie. Their romance, conducted largely in secret due to his family's disapproval and Maggie's controversial profession, became a subject of intense public fascination.

Conflicted desires. Kane struggled with his feelings for Maggie and his desire for her to abandon Spiritualism and become a respectable woman. He offered to support her education and provide her with a quiet life, but he also accused her of deceit and questioned her sincerity. Maggie, in turn, was deeply in love but also resented his attempts to control her and his family's refusal to accept her.

Tragedy and betrayal. Kane died in 1857 shortly after returning from his second Arctic expedition. He had reportedly promised to marry Maggie, but his family denied the relationship and refused to provide for her, despite a sum of money he had set aside. Devastated and financially desperate, Maggie fought for recognition and support, eventually publishing Kane's love letters to prove their bond, an act that further alienated her from his family and Leah.

7. The Movement Spreads: From Parlors to Public Halls

"So what it is or whether I shall ever be able to talk with it," he wrote to Isaac, "I do not know but hope I shall. Thomas McClintock’s folks are…sure that they have heard the same. Also Elisabeth Stanton—Gerrit Smith’s daughter—was on a visit to E. Stanton and heard about it. She went home and told her mother who had full faith in it and the daughter wrote to E. Stanton a day or two since that her mother had heard it several times so if it is Humbug it seems to spread fast."

Beyond Western New York. Following the widely publicized events at Corinthian Hall and the articles in national newspapers like the New York Tribune, interest in spirit communication exploded beyond Rochester. Individuals across the country began reporting similar phenomena and discovering their own mediumistic abilities. This rapid spread indicated that the desire for contact with the spirit world was widespread and not confined to a single location or family.

Formation of spirit circles. People organized informal gatherings, known as spirit circles or seances, in their homes to experiment with communication. These circles were often democratic spaces where individuals from different social backgrounds could come together to explore the unknown. The focus shifted from the dramatic raps of Hydesville to a variety of phenomena, including table tilting, automatic writing, and trance speaking.

Prominent converts and publications. The movement gained credibility as prominent figures from various fields, including judges, scientists, ministers, and reformers, publicly declared their belief in spirit communication. Newspapers and journals dedicated to Spiritualism emerged, disseminating information, testimonials, and philosophical discussions about the nature of the spirit world and its implications for life on Earth.

8. Fraud and Doubt: Persistent Accusations and Investigations

"The imputation of being imposters."

Skepticism and exposure. From its inception, Spiritualism faced accusations of fraud. Critics, including magicians, doctors, and journalists, actively sought to expose mediums as fakes. They proposed various natural explanations for the phenomena, such as:

• Toe or knee cracking
• Ventriloquism
• Hidden mechanical devices
• Collusion with confederates
• Mind reading or cold reading techniques

Medical and scientific challenges. Doctors, particularly after the Buffalo investigation of Maggie, attempted to explain the raps through anatomical and physiological means, suggesting conscious or involuntary muscle control. Scientists, like Michael Faraday and the Harvard professors, conducted experiments that they believed debunked the spiritual claims, attributing phenomena like table tilting to the sitters' unconscious movements.

The enduring mystery. Despite numerous attempts to expose them, the Fox sisters were never definitively caught in overt trickery under controlled conditions during their peak years. This persistent lack of conclusive proof, coupled with the subjective nature of many manifestations (like spirit lights or touches), allowed belief to persist alongside skepticism. The debate over whether the phenomena were genuine or fraudulent became a central, and often acrimonious, feature of the movement.

9. The Sisters' Downfall: Addiction and Public Confession

"The Death-Blow."

Later life struggles. As the decades passed, the Fox sisters faced increasing personal difficulties. Kate struggled with alcoholism, which impacted her health and ability to function. Maggie, after the trauma of Kane's death and her financial struggles, also succumbed to alcohol addiction. Leah, having achieved social respectability through marriage, largely distanced herself from her sisters' problems, creating further family tension.

Crisis and public scandal. Kate's alcoholism led to a public crisis in 1888 when her sons were taken into custody by a child welfare society. This event, widely reported in the press, brought renewed negative attention to the Fox family and Spiritualism. Maggie, perhaps fueled by resentment towards Leah and other Spiritualists, seized the opportunity to strike back.

The confession at the Academy of Music. In October 1888, Maggie Fox publicly confessed at the New York Academy of Music that the raps had been a hoax from the beginning, produced by cracking her toe joints. She claimed that she and Kate were innocent children manipulated by their older sister Leah for financial gain. This confession, widely reported as the "death-blow" to Spiritualism, aimed to discredit the movement and Leah, but also implicated Kate.

10. The Legacy of Spiritualism: Enduring Questions About the Afterlife

"Therefore no word of censure or reproach can be cast on this mortal career..."

Recantation and final years. A year after her confession, Maggie recanted, claiming she had been under psychological influence and financial pressure when she denounced Spiritualism. She reaffirmed her belief in spirits, though this reversal did little to restore her reputation or the movement's. Both Maggie and Kate lived their final years in relative obscurity and poverty, dying within months of each other in 1893.

Decline of the movement. While Spiritualism continued in various forms, its peak popularity waned by the late 19th century. Factors contributing to its decline included:

• Increased life expectancy and reduced child mortality
• Greater opportunities for women outside the home
• Internal divisions and lack of organization
• Growing skepticism fueled by exposures of fraud
• The rise of new scientific and psychological explanations for phenomena

Enduring influence. Despite its decline as a unified movement, Spiritualism left a lasting impact on American culture and spirituality. It contributed to:

• Changing attitudes towards death and mourning
• The development of psychical research and parapsychology
• The exploration of consciousness and altered states
• The foundation for later New Age beliefs in spirit guides and channeling

The story of the Fox sisters, whether viewed as pioneers of a new faith or masterful tricksters, continues to fascinate, reflecting timeless human questions about life, death, and the possibility of communication between worlds.

Last updated: June 12, 2025