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In Sherwood’s post, he argues that the rise of evangelicalism in the Northeast is linked to the witch-hunts in the same region several decades earlier. For the most part, agree with this assertion; however, my views are slightly different in some aspects.
Although the witch trials and Great Awakening were two similar events in the same region, I do not see them as having a cause-and-effect relationship. Certainly, they shared contributing factors that the South also lacked: mainly small, tight-knit communities and strong religious beliefs. These qualities allowed the witch-hunt to flourish in the same way they allowed the rise of evangelicalism. The close communities allowed for both witch accusations and new preaching styles to spread quickly to different families and parishes. Likewise, the strict standards of the Puritan faith created an extremely God-fearing civilization; in fact, their culture of discipline, hard work, and high morals is based around their religious beliefs. Their fear of God goes hand-in-hand with a fear of the devil. When the devil supposedly manifests himself in their neighbors, the people are terrified and act senselessly. Similarly, a primary reason for the success of evangelicalism was the fear that a person would not obtain salvation and spend eternity in hell.
In summary, small towns and a strict religion are two reasons that both the Great Awakening and the witch-hunts flourished in the Northeast instead of the south. Although I agree that it may be a contributing factor, I do not believe that these commonalities prove that the paranoia of the witch trials caused the Great Awakening. In my opinion, these similarities are characteristic of the New England society, and the two events are merely the effects of that social environment.