Beyond the Veil: A History of Spiritualism

Historian Katie Keckeisen will present Beyond the Veil: A History of Spiritualism. The presentation intersects and expands upon many of the topics discussed in the Spirits at Stowe: Spirits After Dark tour, such as people like the Fox Sisters and Victoria Woodhull, instruments like the planchette, and the influence of the Civil War. Keckeisen goes beyond these tangible aspects of Spiritualism and explores the meanings that Spiritualism had for individuals and society.

Always controversial, Spiritualism represents the larger tensions in society over the changing nature of scientific evidence, understandings of the human body, and changing belief systems.

WHAT IS SPIRITUALISM?

Broadly speaking, spiritualism is the belief that an individual’s awareness persists after death and can be contacted by the living. During Spirits at Stowe, we discuss the histories of multiple spiritualist traditions in U.S. history, and how these beliefs helped inspire, nourish, and connect politically radical individuals and communities from the mid-19th through the dawn of the 20th centuries—paying special attention to abolitionism, women’s rights, labor rights, and the intersections among them. We also specifically reference the Spiritualist faith, which was prevalent in the 19th and early 20th century and continues today, with various communities active.

REGISTRATION REQUESTED FOR ATTENDANCE TRACKING BUT NOT REQUIRED