Founders of Spiritualism: The Fox Sisters

What happened to Margaretta Fox and sisters, if appearances do not deceive, was the most important event in the history of mankind.

Conclusive proof that we can communicate with the spirits of the dead, which presupposes that the dead exist as spirits with which communication is possible and could mean the end of thousands of years of speculation: it would show that the death is not the end of life, but the transfer of existence to another realm.

From now on, our time on earth could be considered not as a short biological incident but as part of a larger process. This, and nothing less, seemed to be demonstrated by what happened in a small wooden chalet in the town of Hydesville in upstate New York on March 31, 1848. This opening marked the beginning of the modern spiritualist movement, whose adherents later reach the millions worldwide.

The Fox brothers were seven, but only three participated in the events: Leah, who was thirty-four years in 1848, Margaretta, fourteen, and Catherine, of twelve. The definitive account of the incident, which took time, was provided by the mother four days later in an affidavit, and confirmed as accurate by her husband. He said that the house where they lived temporarily had suffered unexplained shaking the walls and furniture, the sound of footsteps and banging on walls and doors. The family had “concluded that the house should accommodate a restless spirit and unfortunate.”

Tired by now, the family went to bed early Friday night March 31. Margaretta and Catherine, the only ones who still lived with his parents were afraid of the noise and were installed in the room with their parents. Undoubtedly, it was the reassuring presence of his father and mother who encouraged the girls to respond so brazenly when the knocking began.

The girls heard the shots and tried to make a noise like, snapping his fingers. My youngest daughter, Cathie, said: “Lord Slipfoot, do like me!” Hitting hands. The sound was immediately given the same amount of hits. When she stopped, the sound stopped for a while. Then Margaretta said, jokingly: “No, do like me. Count one, two, three, four, ’striking the hands together, and taps again as before. He was afraid of repeating …

This gradually became more elaborate communications, using a code word by which it was discovered that the beatings were the work of a spirit, and finally, the entity is identified as a peddler of thirty-one years that claimed to have been killed in the same house and whose remains were buried in the basement.

Neighbors went to check what was happening, they also heard the shots, made their own questions and received answers. The next day came more visitors and at night, at the request of spirit, some men started digging in the basement, to see whether they could check the history, but unfortunately the well was filled with water and had to abandon the attempt.