At the time when Anthony, Cady, and other like-minded individuals were fighting for women's equality, Spiritualism was also gaining momentum as a religion. This controversial belief system is usually thought to have started with the Fox sisters in 1848. At this time, the young sisters were living in a cottage in Hydesville, New York.
One evening, the girls began hearing a series of knocks and raps whose source could not be determined. After some time, they realized that the sounds were really attempts at communication, and the girls soon devised a code so they could understand. Using a predetermined number of knocks to indicate "yes" or "no," the sisters were able to ask questions and receive answers. What they learned was startling. The knocks, it seemed, were coming from the spirit of a peddler that had been murdered and buried in the cottage's cellar. Once word about the spiritual communication got out, the Fox sisters became quite famous. They traveled to New York City and other parts of the country serving as mediums who could talk to the dead.
During this time, Spiritualism as a religion began to take form, and there were soon several followers. Many of the people who associated themselves with Spiritualism were political reformers, abolitionists, non-Christians, and other who bucked the conventions of 19th century society. As such, they were often criticized and unfairly judged by mainstream America, who deemed them immoral atheists who were poisonous to the God-fearing public.
As Spiritualism attracted more followers, the women's rights movement also gained momentum, and women and other proponents of equality sought a platform where they could lecture freely and advance their unconventional ideas. Like the Spiritualists, the women crying out for equality were considered a controversial bunch and were also treated as social pariahs in most segments. Christianity, as America's primary religion, still viewed women as secondary to men. Of course the feminists disagreed wholeheartedly with this, and as a result, many turned their backs on the Christian churches. However, in spite of their lack of a formal religious affiliation many of them were still spiritual people who sought places where they could worship or pray without having to sacrifice their beliefs in female equality. Spiritualism became their answer. Because the religion was more open to these "radical" notions, it became a haven of sorts for people who didn't agree with the traditional ideas of Christianity and the mainstream public. Many of the women's rights movement's strongest supporters had ties to Spiritualism, including Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Ascha W. Srague.
Though at first glance Spiritualism and the women's rights movement seem as though they would be unrelated, it is clear that at the height of the movement there were strong ties with the Spiritualist religion. With its more relaxed views on female equality and women's suffrage, Spiritualism was an attractive option for feminists and their supporters seeking an arena in which to speak.
If you would like to learn more about this topic, particularly where Spiritualism and the Fox sisters are concerned, visit http://www.ad-hoc-productions.com where you can find information about "Visions: True Stories of the Supernatural." This information and entertaining documentary will give you all the fascinating details.
Michael Keene is the producer of the award-winning documentary Visions: True Stories of the Supernatural. See the trailer at http://www.ad-hoc-productions.com/trailers.html
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