A Long History
Rise of Spiritualism
Industrial Revolution
Industrialism and Ghosts
Post-bellum America
Supernatural and Hope
Supernatural Restores Faith
Ghosts Build Communities
Comfort to Bereaved
Why the Supernatural was Entertaining
Transcending the Real
Ghosts and Mystery
Ghosts and Thrills
Entertainers Cash In
Laughing at Ghosts
Anthony Hopper
Why Were Americans Interested in the Supernatural?
Industrialism Fuels Americans' Interest in Ghosts
The Industrial Revolution contributed to the increased popularity
of the otherworldly. For one thing, the growth of consumption communities
provided large markets for a variety of goods, including books on ghosts,
especially inexpensive dime novels (1).
New, speedier forms of transportation and communication which came into
their own after the 
Civil War allowed mediums and others interested in the the spirit realm
to disseminate their ideas to a wider audience than in previous generations
(2). Traditional newspapers
and magazines, which “flooded homes and newsstands...by 1905,”
carried thousands of stories dealing with ghosts, séances, and
other aspects of the paranormal
(3). These stories, regardless of their biases, “[brought] ghosts
to public attention...” (4).
Corporations contributed to this trend by mass producing games, such as
the ouija board (pictured on the right) that had supernatural themes
(5).
Mediums
and others whose livelihoods were dependent on public enthusiasm for things
that went bump in the night took advantage of the growing power of the
print media by advertising in newspapers (6).
These people also used relatively time worn methods of spreading their
otherworldly wares such as “pamphlets, tracts,...and handbills”
(7). They joined with Spiritualists
to found churches based around the idea that communication with the dead
was possible, and they created periodicals which were dedicated solely
to exploring supernatural themes (8).
Both its proponents and skeptics offered lectures and demonstrations,
often to large crowds (9).
4
Last update
ghost, supernatural, Spiritualism, antebellum,
medium, materialization,
apparition, gothic, post-bellum, phantom, paranormal, 1800s, 1900s,
Anthony Hopper, literature, growth,
industrialism, needs, psychical, psychic, afterlife, non-material, spirit,
American, United States