Cora spoke at length about how the Civil War played a pivotal role in the popularity of mediums. “The entire country was grieving,” she said. “Everyone wanted to reach their lost loved ones. Ten years after the war ended, Spiritualism had over a million practitioners in the United States and Europe. It was the second most popular religion in America. We are still a recognized religion today, though our numbers are far lower.
In England the Spiritualist movement gained momentum when Queen Victoria’s husband Albert died. He died at the age of 42 from typhoid fever in 1861.
