The Amish can be found in twenty-eight states, Ontario, and two Central American countries. However, 65% of the Amish communities are in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. The largest Amish settlement is in Holmes and adjoining counties in northeast Ohio,.
In some rural Villages, the Amish are common sight in the grocery store parking lot on Saturdays. They parked their horse and buggy in the corner away from most of the cars, and set up a table spread with foods for sale. Home-baked bread, fresh vegetables from the garden, and fruit pies face the main road through town, and Tyson customers and passerbys to stop and buy something.
Out-of-towners often linger looking at the horses and buggies in the dark clothing for many Americans these glimpses of Amish life like watching Little House on the Prairie or some other show about life before cars.
The Amish came out of the Protestant Reformation they are part of what is called the anabaptist group both Catholic and Protestant churches based many of their practices and traditions that had developed in the church after the Bible had been written. the radical reformers, the anabaptist, thought that these traditions were contrary to the Commandments and teachings of the Bible semicolon they wanted to return to the words of the Bible.
One of the leaders of the Baptist what’s Men Simons. Menno Simons was so influential that his followers can be called Mennonites. Menno had originally been a Catholic priest. Shortly after his brother Pieter who was an anabaptist, was killed for his beliefs, Menno decidedto be re-baptized. his His zeal after his conversion help to sustain the anabaptist movement in spite of the harsh persecution it faced. His focus on non-violence also became a feature of both Mennonite and Amish ideology.
Many Anabaptist fledt to Switzerland and the Netherlands to escape persecution. By 1544, Dutch anabaptist we’re starting to be called Mennonite, after one of their early leaders, Menno Simons. Simon’s believed in total nonviolent. He believed this Bible strictly forbid the use of violence, as particularly shown by the example set by Jesus Christ in the Bible. Because of this and because of their skill at making even poor soil productive, the Mennonite able to find some rulers who invited them into their countries.
While this helped to save the Mennonites from further persecution, it also introduced certain difficulties into their lives. In many areas, harsh laws were passed that severely limited the freedom and comfort of the Mennonite. However, the Mennonites prospered in many areas. Their prosperity may have been the greatest danger to the Mennonite way of life, which was focused on living a simple life separated from the temptations of the outside world.
In 1693, conservative leaders of the Mennonite church called for greater discipline in the church. Specifically, they wanted to Halt but they saw as in luminous and Corruption. They sought to impose a strict ban against people who left the church after being baptized, preventing them from associating with other members of the church and community. This practice of banning former church members was not new to the Mennonite church, but it had not been strictly implemented for various reasons.
Jakob Ammann was a tailor who contributed tremendously to the development of the Amish identity in addition to advocating strict shunning of former church members, Amman’s skill in producing clothing led to the Amish use of hooks and eyes rather than buttons on coat and vest this help distinguish the Amish from the Mennonite and is still a feature of Amish clothing throughout North America
Jacob Ammann led the conservative reformers. Unable to convince the rest of the Mennonite Church to change its ways, he and a group of his followers split from the church. This splinter group of Mennonites became known as the Amish, named after their first leader.
Continued persecution in Europe eventually fourth most of the Amish to leave for the new world. Beginning of the early Eighteenth Century, large numbers of Amish immigrants arrived in the colony of Pennsylvania, which was widely known for three ridges tolerance. The Amish established communities in south-central Pennsylvania, near what is now Lancaster.
By 1900, most of the European Amish that either immigrated to North America or rejoined their Mennonite cousins. On January 17th, 1937, the last Amish congregation in Europe join the local Mennonite congregation. The Amish no longer live in Europe; they can only be found in the United States and Canada, with two exceptions..
There are two Amish communities outside of the United States and Canada.
One is in Colonia Naranjita, Bolivia and the other is in Argentina.
The Amish Today
After first settling in Pennsylvania, the Amish now live in 25 American states and in Ontario, Canada. This Geographic spread reflects the high rate of population growth among the Amish. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Amish population in North America was no larger than 5,000. Today there are more than 180,000 Amish and more than 50 settlements in the United States and Canada.
Because the Amish first settled in Pennsylvania, they are often referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch. This name, however, is somewhat misleading. Most of the Amish are actually of German descent rather than Dutch, though there are also French, Swiss, and Welsh Amish in smaller numbers. The mistake apparently came similarity between the words Dutch and Deutsch, which is the German word for German. In most Amish homes, people speak a dialect of German known as Pennsylvania German. Amish people learn English to interact with their non-Amish neighbors and use high German for their church services.
In addition to a shared language, several other features are characteristic of all honest people. Perhaps most notable are there plain dress and the Reliance on horses for transportation in fieldwork. You are not likely to see an Amish person wearing the latest fashionable jeans or any sort of jewelry. Nor are you likely to see an Amish person driving around town and they car and truck. Rather if you see an Amish person in town, he or she will probably be driving a horse-drawn buggy and will be wearing very plain homemade clothing.
Beachy Amish Mennonites do own automobiles and tractors. New Order Amish will own tractors although they still use horse and buggy. To travel long distances the Amish will hire drivers to drive them or take bus train or plane. in addition to horse and buggy oh, you will see Amish in their communities riding bicycles and using foot-powered scooters.
In most communities, the use of electricity is very limited. they will often use electricity on their Farms but we’ll use generators to generate their own electricity. many of the Amish now use computers and electricity in and telephones in their place of business oh, but they will still not have those luxuries in their home.
In an age when most children grow up using computers and watching television and videos, the Amish severely restrict such technology. And yet the Amish are not only surviving but are actually thriving despite the fact pace of life around them. What are the reasons for the Amish success is there a sense of community.
GELASSENHEIT
The Amish care for one another, provide for one another, and support one another. An important Concept in Amish culture is the practice of Gelassenheit, self-surrender.Gelassenheit is based on the example of Jesus Christ as set forth in the Bible. Gelassenheit stresses humility, Obedience, and the acceptance of life’s difficulties as important virtues for all Amish people.
Children learn Gelassenheit from a very young age, sometimes with a firm spanking if they are showing off. The following verse from the Amish publication “The Instruction of Youth” illustrates the ideals of Gelassenheit quite well:
I must be a Christian Child
Gentle patient Meek and Mild
Must be honest simple true
In my words and actions, too
I must cheerfully obey
Giving up my will and way