Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day, 1864, in the midst of the Civil War in the run-up to the election of 1864, the

re-election of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln gains a very curious supporter.

During this month and through October,

Emma Hardinge Britain gave a series of lectures

stumping for Lincoln's re-election, mostly in California.

She would give 32 lectures throughout the state and in early November

Lincoln would carry California be reelected. Of course a big boost for the union

cause. Lincoln would go on to preside over the conclusion of the Civil War early the next year.

But back to the matter at hand, Emma Hardinge Britain, she's of particular note because she's not so much a political figure, but a spiritual one.

Britain was one of the most

prominent spiritualists, occultists of the era and her seances, lectures,

teachings, and more about the links between the spiritual world and the

physical world were wildly popular at that time.

So let's talk about the rise of spiritualism in the midst of the Civil War and whether an occultist

is responsible for Abraham Lincoln carrying California in the election of

1864. A dubious proposition but one that I can lay out as a question. Just asking questions.

Here to do that as always are are Nicole Hemmer of Columbia and Kelly

Carter Jackson of Wellesley. Hello there. Hello Jody. Hey there. So yeah, we'll

get to the sort of political life of of this very famous spiritualist but Mickey maybe can we just

start with just during the Civil War it does seem like there's a real resurgence

...