Science Made Easy

Cloth 12mo, 233pp. Very Good with rubbing to extremities, shallow fraying at spine ends; superficial cracking to the endpapers at the hinges, abrasion to front pastedown. A few instances of pencil underlining and fingersoil noted in the first 30 or so pages. 4 copies in OCLC (Standford, Rollins, Cleveland, Augustana). Inscribed on the first blank: "A Christmas present from E. & S. Ramsdell to Sister Matt."

An excellent example of the use of spiritual mediumship as a pretext for women to publish political views–in this case coopting the name-recognition and credibility of Theodore Parker, and establishing the contextual foundation on which to build. Parker was a prominent transcendentalist known for having reformist views in just about all political matters, slavery being principal among them. Parker died in 1860 and despite having collected works published, he quickly faded in public and historical appreciation. Though his public lectures rivaled the popularity of Emerson during his lifetime, Parker’s enduring popularity was limited by the less gripping style of his written works and overshadowed by his religious affiliations.

Amidst the economic turmoil of the 1870s Depression, Ramsdell articulates fiercely critical views of American government and capitalism. Noting the lack of accountability, she calls out the greed and corruption of prominent men, for example: “Who supposes for a moment that A.T. Stewart has gone to heaven? I speak of him because his case of departure is fresh in the minds of the people. … Was the bright jewel of sympathy ever shown in his dealings with men and women? Did A.T. Stewart ever regard the poor as anything but tools to be used to swell his coffers of unholy power?” (95) 

Ramsdell references her contemporaries, like Florence Nightingale and Victoria Woodhull, whom, she writes, “has only startled a hound to scent out the right path that leads to the harmony of conjunctive living between the sexes… the first growl over sexual rights must be loud and filled with the thunder of daring and freedom of speech” (24-25). She turns her critical lens to the spiritual mediums who fail to use the platform to advance a common cause. She declares “Mediumship is getting too aristocratic” (107) and criticizes the use of spiritualism to entertain the wealthy while depriving the poor of opportunities to experience its “truths” and empowerment.

Little information about Ramsdell could be identified beyond her publications, which were occasionally listed (but not reviewed) in periodicals. Records show the first “Theodore Parker” book (1870) was attributed “through the mediumship” of Elizabeth Ramsdell, whom we presume to be the “E.” in both the imprint and inscription in this copy.