Death Shall have no Dominion: The Passing of the World of the Dead in America

Abstract

The dead have largely lost their social importance, visibility, and impact in American society. This event is essentially a phenomenon of the present century. For three centuries prior, the dead world occupied a significant and readily recognizable place in the living world. Indeed, that place was growing rapidly through much of the 19th century. Causes of the reversal in relationship between the two worlds are examined and consequences of the present radical withdrawal from the dead are suggested.