The Fox sisters (Margaretta and Kate/Cathie) caused a sensation in the late 1840s, when the news broke that they could communicate with a spirit in their home in Hydesville, New York. The “spirit” communicated through rapping sounds (e.g., two raps for yes). The sisters went on to become professional mediums, and were instrumental in founding the spiritualist movement that lasted through the Victorian era and into the 1920s. Later in their lives the sisters admitted to faking the spirit raps (many researchers had been insisting all along that the noises were faked), but at least one of them took back the confession before she died. Despite this, the Fox sisters are generally considered frauds.  Their fame nonetheless paved the way for others to make a living in the field of the paranormal.

2 Replies to “The Fox Sisters”

  1. I don’t know why but i just love ghosts this website EVEN THIS PICTURE is freaking amazing i just have a fascination with ghosts their my life and im only 13…..

    1. Caitlyn, thanks for your comment! The Fox Sisters are a very interesting topic, as they essentially founded the spiritualist movement in the United States. Like you, I also had an interest in the paranormal from a very young age. My mother was a librarian and I used to sit in the “stacks” (the tall shelves of books) and read all the ghost books I could find. Keep reading!

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