A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
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understood itself not as runn<strong>in</strong>g counter to <strong>the</strong> currents <strong>of</strong> its day but ra<strong>the</strong>r as wholly <strong>in</strong> keep<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
SPIRITUALIST UTOPIA AND THE NEW WOMAN<br />
In his “molecular hypo<strong>the</strong>sis,” Lockwood envisions <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> a “higher mental<br />
civilization” as <strong>the</strong> end result <strong>of</strong> rational progress. The vision <strong>of</strong> perfect human bro<strong>the</strong>rhood that<br />
would ostensibly accompany such mental advances was a central concern <strong>of</strong> Spiritualism. Of<br />
course <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong> progress engaged more short-term concerns as well and it is <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> shortterm<br />
that we f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> l<strong>in</strong>ks between Spiritualism and reform, l<strong>in</strong>ks that were <strong>of</strong>ten ones <strong>of</strong><br />
affiliation.<br />
Before <strong>the</strong> Civil War, spiritualists ga<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong>ir most <strong>in</strong>fluential defenders from men and<br />
women who managed to support <strong>the</strong> rappers with <strong>the</strong> same enthusiasm <strong>the</strong>y supported<br />
Fourierism, temperance, antislavery, health reform, and women’s rights. Horace<br />
Greeley’s Tribune, viewed by many as a radical newspaper, quite appropriately gave <strong>the</strong><br />
Fox sisters <strong>the</strong>ir first big publicity break. Concurrently, almost all <strong>the</strong> prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />
abolitionists fell under <strong>the</strong> spell <strong>of</strong> Spiritualism. William Lloyd Garrison, Joshua<br />
Gidd<strong>in</strong>gs, Benjam<strong>in</strong> Wade, Henry Wright, and Thomas Wentworth Higg<strong>in</strong>son probably<br />
held more common ground on <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> spirit rapp<strong>in</strong>gs than on <strong>the</strong> tactics <strong>of</strong><br />
combat<strong>in</strong>g slavery. Lydia Maria Child, Robert Dale Owen, Ad<strong>in</strong> Ballou, Lorenzo<br />
Fowler, and John Edmonds were only some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r public figures associated with<br />
various o<strong>the</strong>r causes who saw a clear relationship between Spiritualism and <strong>the</strong> cause <strong>of</strong><br />
“practical” reform. 86<br />
Gary Ward notes that, “Many with<strong>in</strong> Spiritualism became known, not only for advocat<strong>in</strong>g fair<br />
treatment <strong>of</strong> Indians, but also for advocat<strong>in</strong>g prison reform, abolition <strong>of</strong> capital punishment,<br />
higher wages for workers, trade unions, and equality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sexes.” 87<br />
The overall tenor <strong>of</strong><br />
Spiritualism speaks to a com<strong>in</strong>g social order <strong>in</strong> which “<strong>the</strong> lion and <strong>the</strong> lamb shall lie down<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r, trust<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>the</strong> one God who opened <strong>the</strong> heavens for ra<strong>in</strong>, who is daily open<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
86 Moore, 71.<br />
87 Gary Ward, “Introduction,” <strong>in</strong> Spiritualism I: Spiritualist Thought, ed. Gary L. Ward (New York: Garland Press,<br />
1990) 4.<br />
59