Despite the avowedly Christian character of the United States many Americans in the early nineteenth century continued to believe in forms of supernaturalism and divine knowledge that fell beyond the bounds of Christianity. It was not unusual for people to believe in witches, demons, and spells or to practice alchemy or consult fortune tellers. Treasure hunting was a common practice among those who thought that supernatural guidance through dreams, "seer stones," and divining rods might point the way to untold wonders buried in the earth. Folk magic was practiced for a variety of purposes, from healing illness to enticing chickens to lay eggs. Many educated men of the middle and upper classes who might scorn such popular beliefs were proud to belong to the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, a secretive organization that claimed to offer its members access to ancient sources of divine wisdom...