The Fox sisters, Margaret and Kate Fox, are credited with igniting the spiritualism movement in the mid-19th century through their claims of communicating with the dead via mysterious "rappings" and "knockings." Their purported abilities captivated a wide audience, including notable figures such as William Crookes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The sisters initially gained fame by staging public séances, which resonated with a society seeking spiritual answers following the Civil War. Prominent supporters like P.T. Barnum and various scientists endorsed their claims, boosting their popularity.
However, in 1888, the Fox sisters admitted that their supernatural phenomena were elaborate deceptions. They confessed to using tricks such as cracking their toes and fingers to produce the rapping sounds, and further investigation revealed additional deceptive practices like hidden wires. Their later lives were marred by personal struggles and public disapproval. Despite their admissions of fraud, their influence on the spiritualist movement persisted, serving as a cautionary tale about the power of belief and the importance of scepticism and critical thinking in evaluating extraordinary claims.
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