A review by susiemeister
Radical Spirits, Second Edition: Spiritualism and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America by Ann Braude

Ann Braude describes the birth and development of the Spiritualist movement and its connection to the women's rights movement. Women had long been assumed as having a closer connection to God than men, and many women saw the Spiritualist movement as a way to exploit that in order to gain leadership and a voice. It's beginning coincides with the women's rights movement in 1848 and spread at the same rate. Spiritualism was a response to the mid-century "crisis of faith" (4). They used a connection to science as a way to bolster the movement. They were anti-organzation (due to their individualistic bent) and it is difficult to nail down stats of membership as a result, however they were keen on publishing. They were closely connected to Quakers for a time due to the Quaker understanding of the "inner light" found in everybody. Because this movement was often practiced within the home, it elevated the status of domesticity. Many upper class members participated, but the spirit world was not a respector of class. Despite its connection with African spiritism, the group focused on women's rights not abolition. Because death usually occurred at home in the women's sphere, it was a natural transition for them to communicate with the dead. The movement was ultimately unhinged by its mixed messages about women's strength and weaknesses (physically) and its internal disagreement about creating a formal organization. The ultimate challenge came in the form of Christian Science.