Who Are the Amish?

The Amish are a Christian community that emphasizes simplicity, peace, humility and separation from the outside world. Their roots are in the Anabaptist movement of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation, a time when these Christians were heavily persecuted and martyred for their opposition to infant baptism and state run religion. As the movement gained strength, many Anabaptists began to call themselves Mennonites after Menno Simons, a prominent Anabaptist writer and preacher of the time.

Fast forward 150 years to Swiss-born Jacob Amman, a preacher who emerged in the late 1600s. He sought to revitalize the Anabaptist movement by implementing strict discipline for his congregants and shunning those who did not adhere to the new rules. When church leaders could not agree with his tenants, Amman led a split from the Anabaptists and Mennonites to form the Amish community in 1693.

Large numbers of Amish immigrated to North America in the 1700s. The first settlement of Amish occurred in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Today, there are large communities of Amish in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. Experts estimate that there are approximately 227,000 Amish in the United States. Lancaster County is host to the second largest Amish population, with close to 27,000 members.

In the home and with each other, the Amish speak a dialect of German called Pennsylvania Dutch. Prior to the 1800's, the term "Dutch" referred to people of German descent. Some of the components of Amish culture are pacifism, an emphasis on community over the individual, plain dress, transport by horse and buggy, and absence of public electricity in the home.

Families usually have between eight to twelve children, which means that Amish grandmothers average 50 grandchildren! Children are educated through the 8th grade in one room schoolhouses where subjects are taught in English. Primary vocations for the Amish include farming, construction, selling wholesale goods, and making furniture or crafts.