Why are people afraid of Hannah Tupper in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

The
people of Weathersfield are afraid of Hannah Tupper because they are extremely superstitious
people, and Hannah Tupper is different. In general, I think the people are afraid of Hannah
Tupper because they do not understand her, and they do not understand her because they make no
effort to. Kit makes an effort to befriend the woman, and Kit thinks that Hannah is just fine;
however, nobody else bothers to make the effort because they don't see the point.

But no one in Wethersfield has anything to do with Hannah
Tupper.

Why on earth not?

She is a Quaker.

Why is that so dreadful?

Rachel hesitated. I cant tell you
exactly. The Quakers are queer stubborn people. They dont believe in the Sacraments.

What difference does that make? She is as kind and good asas you are, Aunt Rachel. I
could swear to it.

Hannah is a Quaker, and that
apparently is so foreign of a way of life that the people of Weathersfield would rather tell
scary stories about the old Quaker rather than actually get to know her. For the people of
Weathersfield, it is just easier to accept scary stories about Hannah and escalate those stories
than it is to try and disprove them. Hannah becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, and
anything that she does that is "witchlike" just further deepens the people's feelings.
Hannah can't even stir a pot without people thinking it might be witchcraft.

Kit looked back at the gray figure bent over a kettle, stirring
something with a long stick. Her spine prickled. It might be only soap, of course.