NEW AGE GENESIS

THE FOX SISTERS

The Fox sisters were a pair of women who, together, founded the modern Spiritualist movement in the United States, and opened the minds of thousands of people across the country. The effects of their endeavors can still be seen today in the way Spirituality has become a wisely accepted (not to mention widely practiced) way of life. What began as a controversial phenomenon dubbed "The Hydesville Rappings", evolved into a following that advanced the philosophies and teachings of Spirituality and opened the door for many prominent Spiritualists of the time to begin openly advocating and practicing their movement towards a more holistic state of being.
John and Margaret Fox were devout Methodists living in Hydesville, NY in 1848 when the first events took place. Their four adult children had long since moved away and started families of their own, leaving the youngest daughters Margaretta and Catherine (Maggie and Kate) in their small home. One night in March, the family was asleep when strange noises abruptly startled them awake. Reportedly, a variety of bangs, raps, and similar sounds kept the Fox family up that night, and every night for the rest of the week. They searched for, but could not find a source for the mysterious sounds. It was on March 31st, the date often recognized as the birth of Spiritualism, when Kate, the younger of the two girls, decided to try and figure out what was causing the rappings. She asked the noise to rap ten times. It did. Kate's questions became more complicated, querying as to the ages of the six Fox children, among other things, and each time the tapping responded perfectly.

Through a series of question and answer sessions with the source, Kate discovered that the noise was that of the spirit of a peddler who'd been murdered and buried in the basement of the Fox house some years past. The spiritual communication was given validity when human remains were reportedly unearthed beneath the floor of the small cottage. As word of the occurrences spread, the girls gained fame for their discovery of what would set off a veritable wildfire of Spiritualist activity.

E. E. Lewis made history when he visited the Fox house alongside many other people who had come to see for themselves what had caused such a commotion. After investigating the scene of the disturbance, Lewis wrote "A Report of the Mysterious Noises Heard in the House of Mr. John D. Fox"; the first acknowledged spiritualist publication ever.

In April 1848, news of the now locally famous "Hydesville Rappings" reached the ears of Leah Fox Fish, Maggie and Kate's older sister. Middle-aged Leah lived with her adolescent daughter in nearby Rochester, NY. Her husband had abandoned her and her daughter, so when Mrs. Fish saw the opportunity to capitalize on the fame of her younger sisters, she decided to seize it. Installing herself as the girls' manager of sorts, she led them around to performances of their talents in mediumship at various séances and meetings in the area. The girls were a commercial success, and all three sisters profited from their exhibitions of spirit rappings, also termed "Typtology."

P. T. Barnum brought the girls to New York City, where they impressed William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper, George Ripley, Horace Greely, and others. Skeptics routinely charged them with fraud, however, no trickery was proved despite numerous tests. As knowledge of the girls spread further, so did the wave of spiritualism that was now sweeping across America. The success of the Fox sisters inspired others to discover their own mediumistic powers. Mediums appeared everywhere, and it soon became apparent that Spiritualism was more than a passing fad.

In 1852, Spiritualism was exported to Britain by a Boston medium, Mrs. Hayden. By 1855, Spiritualism claimed 2 million followers and appeared to be a new religion in the making. Spiritualists claimed that the immortality of the soul would at last be proved.

Many people heard of the girls' feat, and soon there were hundreds of imitators, both genuine and fabricated, who claimed that they, too, could communicate with the spirit world. Of these, many hoaxes were uncovered, but others were most likely real spirit communications, and it was in this way that the Spiritualist movement was spawned.

As with anyone of considerable renown, rumors and skepticism surrounded the story of the Fox sisters and their "Hydesville Rappings." Though Lea Fox Fish, the girls' older sister would never make any admission of fraud, the younger sisters confessed later in life that their rappings were not genuine in nature. Kate had apparently discovered that she had a talent for popping her toe joints, and after teaching this skill to Maggie, the girls agreed to play a trick on their parents. What began as a simple prank to entertain themselves and alleviate boredom, escalated so quickly into national acclaim that the girls never thought of revealing their secret. It's disputed as to whether the girls made this admission of their own free will, or they did it because some news-seeking journalist, short on ethics, offered to pay them for such a confession. By 1855, both were alcoholics. In 1857, Leah abandoned her younger sisters following her marriage to a wealthy businessman. Upon their death, the Fox sisters were buried in pauper's graves.

Though most now consider the Fox sisters mysterious communication with the spirit world an elaborate and well performed hoax, their legacy lives on. Thanks to these quick-witted sisters, American Spiritualism emerged from its humble beginnings in a run-down cottage in Hydesville, NY, to become an integral part of society. With thousands, if not millions of people preaching spirituality in some form, the effects the Fox sisters brought to America and Spirituality are indisputably evident.

This is the second in a series of columns that will introduce you to the people, movements and ideas that are behind today's spiritual renewal. This article was researched and written by Suzanne Carlson.