Beyond the Veil: A History of Spiritualism

Beyond the Veil

A History of Spiritualism

October 26, 2024

Spirits at Stowe:
Our tours and lectures are unique, in that they delve into the historic, social, and political context of the 19^th century and explore the role of spiritualism in the lives of reformers, suffragists, and Black activists.

Historian Katie Keckeisen will present Beyond the Veil: A History of Spiritualism. Keckeisen’s presentation intersects and expands upon many of the topics discussed in the tour, such as people like the Fox Sisters and Victoria Woodhull, instruments like the planchette, and the influence of the Civil War. Keckeisen goes beyond these tangible aspects of Spiritualism, though, and explores the meanings that Spiritualism had for individuals and society. Always controversial, Spiritualism represents the larger tensions in society over the changing nature of scientific evidence, understandings of the human body, and changing belief systems.

REGISTER!

If you’re feeling in the mood for a radical tour, join us for our Spirits at Stowe, Spirits After Dark tour from 6:00 – 7:00 PM following the event.

Location Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

Doors Open 4:30 PM

Program 4:30 - 6:00 PM

School Group Interest Form

School Group Interest Form 2024

Thank you so much for your interest in a group tour at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center! Please help us schedule your visit by answering the questions below.

School name:

Please suggest three dates and times when your group would like to visit. (Note: the Stowe Center is closed on Sunday and Tuesday.)

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The Stowe Center requires one adult per every 10 students.

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Do you plan to have lunch on site?

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No, thank you.

Are you interested in scheduling a joint visit with our neighbor, The Mark Twain House and Museum?

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No, thank you.

If yes, have you already contacted The Mark Twain House?

Yes

Adult Group Interest Form

Group Tour Interest Form 2022

Thank you so much for your interest in a group tour at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center! Please help us schedule your visit by answering the questions below.

Group Name:

Name of Primary Contact:(Required)

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What date would you like to visit? (The Stowe Center typically books group tours for Thursday through Sunday visits.)

Expected number of visitors:(Required)

Please enter a number from 20 to 42.

Please indicate the number of adults, seniors, and children expected in your group:

Are there special accommodations that can help us serve you best?

Are you interested in a joint visit with our neighbor, The Mark Twain House and Museum?

Yes, please.

No, thank you.

If yes, have you already contacted The Mark Twain House?

Yes

Isabella Beecher Hooker

Isabella Holmes Beecher Hooker (1822-1907)
An ardent member of the woman’s suffrage movement, Isabella Holmes Beecher Hooker joined in the cause along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

Isabella was the first child of Lyman Beecher and his second wife, Harriet Porter Beecher.

Isabella began her education at Catharine Beecher’s Hartford Female Seminary and lived with her sister Mary Perkins. In 1841 she married John Hooker, a descendant of Thomas Hooker, the founder of Hartford. John Hooker was a lawyer and an abolitionist.

In the early 1860s Isabella got involved in the woman’s suffrage movement. Isabella joined Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony as a member of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association in 1869. She was a founding member of the Connecticut Woman’s Suffrage Association. Isabella’s ideas of equality were influenced by John Stuart Mills’ On Liberty and the Subjection of Women.

In 1871, Isabella organized the annual convention of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association in Washington D.C. and presented her argument before the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate. Her husband, John Hooker, believed in his wife and supported her activities. He helped Isabella draft a bill to the Connecticut Legislature giving married women the same property rights as their husbands. The bill passed in 1877. Isabella annually submitted a bill granting women the right to vote, but it did not pass in her lifetime.