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 (continued)
All of these practices helped to generate interest in paranormal phenomena among Americans living in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (10). In fact, some scholars have argued that the practice of cavorting with the dead, either vicariously through books or directly via the aid of a ouija board or a medium, became so widespread throughout the United States that it "...became a national pastime that transcended class, gender, and ethnic barriers" (11).
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