When We Spoke to the Dead: How Ghosts Gave American Women Their Voice
Description
In the nineteenth century, spiritualism emerged as a powerful cultural movement that gave voice to the voiceless—particularly women who were denied agency in a male-dominated society. Through séances, mediums, and communication with the spirit world, women found unprecedented opportunities to speak publicly, challenge authority, and influence social discourse on issues ranging from abolition to women's rights. Ilise S. Carter's meticulously researched work explores how the spiritualist movement became an unexpected vehicle for female empowerment, allowing women to claim intellectual authority and political power under the guise of channeling otherworldly wisdom. By examining the lives of prominent mediums and the broader cultural phenomenon of spirit communication, Carter reveals how conversations with the dead paradoxically became conversations about the living—and about women's rightful place in American society. This compelling history demonstrates that spiritualism was far more than parlor entertainment; it was a revolutionary movement that fundamentally shaped women's activism and the fight for equality in America.
Available Editions
paperback
Sourcebooks, Incorporated
Published Jan 1, 2025
320 pages
ISBN: 9781464223761
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Details
First Published
2025
Language
eng
Content Warnings
No content warnings identified.