A man who called himself Plain Dealer wrote to the North Star of Danville in 1830 to point out ominous parallels between the spiritual condition of Vermont and that of Israel at the time of the prophet Ezekiel. He saw a “great declension of religion” behind the manifold threats to the “peace and prosperity” of the valley. The causes of that declension were not clear to him, but he was certain of the cure: a revival of religion. That alone, he wrote, could heal “the contentions and divisions among us.”

Most Christians shared Plain Dealer's belief that the political and social discord in the valley had its roots in a widespread indifference to God. They had faith in the restorative power of religion and had begun to think the only hope for the valley lay in a revival. But if a revival came, would it be genuine? Would it regenerate the souls of those it touched, sanctify their behavior, and restore the valley to God's grace? Would it restore prosperity, political unity, and sound morals?

To the delight of most Christians, what appeared to be a genuine revival began, albeit modestly, in 1827. It produced dramatic effects. By its end in 1843, at least 43 percent of adult men and women in the valley were full church members, and the vast majority attended church regularly.