American Spirits: Prologue–Chapter 6

by Barb Rosenstock
This nonfiction book tells the story of Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox, three sisters living in Civil War America who became famous for Maggie and Kate's claims of being spiritual mediums.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Prologue-Chapter 6, Chapters 7-12, Chapters 13-19, Chapters 20-26, Chapter 27-Author's Note
15 words 143 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mystic
    relating to a belief in communion with an ultimate reality
    Mother Fox later insisted she was “not a believer in haunted houses or supernatural Appearances.” But a mystic strain ran through Mother’s extended family.
  2. manifest
    provide evidence for
    Redfield took over the questioning, “If you are an injured spirit, manifest it by three raps.”
  3. visionary
    a person with unusual powers of foresight
    Visionaries had founded experimental communities supporting radical ideas like equal rights for women or the abolition of slavery.
  4. slanderous
    harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
    He asked for support against the slanderous spirit.
  5. sensationalize
    present in an exaggerated and excited way to arouse interest
    The Newark Herald warned the public that Lewis had sensationalized the facts to make money, “if the excitement should subside … it would … injure the sale …”
  6. entrepreneur
    someone who organizes a business venture
    Entrepreneurs, immigrants, and entertainers had turned the rural village of Rochester into America’s first boomtown city.
  7. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
    Rural school was sporadic; household chores—scrubbing shirts, sweeping ashes, carrying wood and water—were endless.
  8. automaton
    someone who acts or responds in a mechanical way
    The still-woozy Kate began reciting religious poetry like an automaton, at least a hundred lines in a row.
  9. placid
    calm and free from disturbance
    Not one teacup tipped, not a plate shifted, “I glanced around the table to see who moved a muscle … every countenance was mild and placid, yet bore the impress of the deepest awe …”
  10. candid
    openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
    Soon, Isaac was expressing an easy confidence in the spirits, “It [spirit communication] has been investigated by so many … every candid person admits that the girls do not make it.”
  11. staunch
    firm and dependable especially in loyalty
    Amy, on the other hand, remained a staunch believer.
  12. intone
    speak carefully, as with rising and falling pitch
    A prayer was said, a hymn sung; Leah intoned a series of questions to begin their conversation with the dead.
  13. clairvoyant
    perceiving things beyond the natural range of the senses
    The trances were described rather opaquely as “put her asleep,” “magnetized,” or “put in the clairvoyant state.”
  14. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    Believers found themselves distraught at the thought of never hearing from their loved ones again.
  15. meticulous
    marked by extreme care in treatment of details
    Though Kate remained in Auburn, the spirits in Rochester spelled out meticulous instructions for a presentation to the public.
Created on Fri Jan 16 04:25:12 EST 2026 (updated Tue Jan 20 15:33:31 EST 2026)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.