If we rely on the majority of internet references, the famous (or infamous) Fox Sisters of Hydesville, New York were clearly charlatans. AI, as an example, concludes that they “were not genuine mediums.” It further states that they “were performers and hoaxers, though perhaps not initially with malicious intent.” Their story, AI continues “is a powerful case study in mass belief, deception, and the human desire for contact with the afterlife.”