Amish Culture

Amish Culture

Tresha Yarberry

University of Phoenix

Amish Culture

Most people driving down the road in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and 20 other states, will see horse drawn buggies sharing the road with them. If they are not accustom to seeing horse drawn buggy’s, then people think what a cool cite to see. People have wondered about the Amish for years. How can they be the way that they are? That question is the first question that usually pops into someone’s brain when they see Amish people. What brought the Amish here? Why do they not use electricity? Why do they dress the way they do? These questions are just a few in the mystery of the Amish and their ways.

The Amish people in America are an old religious sect, direct descendants of the Anabaptists of sixteenth- century Europe. (Powell, 2008.). The Amish first came to this country from Switzerland and Germany after 1727. (People weekly, 1985). The Amish had disagreements with the Mennonites, over the lack of strict discipline laws. They also disagreed on such matters as baths and the type of clothing they were to wear. The Amish believed the Mennonites were not rigid enough in their worship, so a split accrued.

There were several conflicts the Amish had to face, after settling in American. Settlements were attacked by the French and Indians during the 1800’s. They were also attacked by both sides in the Independence War. Religious groups, Baptists, Methodists, and evangelists, started a revival against the Amish. The “revivalists” took a heavy toll on the Amish membership. (Religious tolerance, 2009)

More than 3,000 Amish arrived from Europe from 1817 to 1860. They left Europe because of religious oppression, financial problems, and crop failure. They settled all across the United States and Canada.

As of 1999, there are four active Amish groups in America. They are: the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches, The Conservative Mennonite Conference, The...