A closer look
Nothing validates a political manifesto quite like claiming George Washington co-authored it from beyond the grave. Emma Hardinge Britten was a massive powerhouse in the 19th-century Spiritualist movement. She didn't just contact dead grandmothers; she channeled massive, eloquent speeches from deceased statesmen and reformers in front of thousands of people. By framing progressive, radical ideas about women's rights, labor laws, and anti-slavery through the mouths of 'revered spirits', she bypassed standard political criticism. After all, you can't exactly debate a ghost on social policy.
