How did the Rochester rappings become associated with spirit communication?

The "Rochester rappings" became associated with spirit communication after Margaret and Catherine Fox began experiencing mysterious knocking sounds in their Hydesville, New York, home in 1848. These noises were quickly attributed to spirits by the sisters and their neighbors.1

The association solidified when their elder sister, Ann Leah Fish, began managing public demonstrations of the sisters' mediumistic gifts in Rochester. During these sessions, they utilized a code that allowed for what was perceived as "actual communication" with the dead. This practice, known as spirit rapping, became the foundational technique of modern spiritualism. The phenomenon gained significant traction as the curious and skeptical alike attended these séances, eventually drawing endorsements from prominent figures like Horace Greeley. Although Margaret Fox later confessed that the rappings were a hoax created by moving their toes, the movement had already established itself as a widespread, albeit controversial, religious and cultural phenomenon.1