The Amish are a group of people.
They live in a simple way. Many live on farms. They often wear plain clothes. They like to talk face to face.
They live in the US and Canada. Do you like farm life?
The Amish are a group of people.
They follow the Bible and live a simple life. They often wear plain clothes.
Many Amish live on farms. They like to talk face to face. This helps them spend time with family.
Some use buggies to get around. They live in the US and Canada. Their group is growing fast today.
The Amish are a group of Christian people.
They have roots in Switzerland and Alsace. Their history began with a leader named Jakob Ammann. He led a split in the church in 1693. Today, many Amish live in the United States and Canada.
Their group is growing very fast.
Amish people follow a set of rules called the Ordnung. This guide tells them how to live each day. Many Amish choose a simple way of life. They wear plain clothes and live on farms.
They often avoid new technology. For example, many do not use cars or telephones. This helps them focus on family and talking face to face. Some groups, like the Beachy Amish, do use motor cars.
Most Amish live in small church groups. These groups include about 20 to 40 families. Members are baptized as adults. They also practice pacifism. This means they do not serve in the military. They often use horse-drawn buggies to travel.
Some groups use German to worship. Others use the local language of their area.
The Amish are a traditional group of Christian people.
They are often called an ethnoreligious group. This means they share both a faith and a specific culture. Many Amish live a very simple life. They value manual labor and being humble. They also practice something called Gelassenheit. This is a way of submitting to God's will.
They try to stay separate from the rest of the world. They often call non-Amish people "English." This helps them focus on their faith and their families.
Daily life for the Amish follows specific rules. These rules are found in a guide called the Ordnung.
The Ordnung covers many parts of life. It includes what kind of clothes people wear. It also sets limits on using modern technology. For example, many avoid telephones and power-line electricity. Some groups also avoid using cars. Using horse-drawn buggies is a common way to travel.
This way of living helps them have more face-to-face conversations. It also helps them stay self-sufficient on their farms.
The history of the Amish began a long time ago. Their roots are in Switzerland and Alsace. In 1693, a leader named Jakob Ammann led a split in a group called the Mennonites. Those who followed Ammann became known as the Amish.
In the early 1700s, many Amish moved to Pennsylvania. They came to find good land and religious freedom. Later, in the mid-1800s, another group of 1,500 people arrived. They settled in places like Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa.
This history shaped the different groups we see today.
There are three main subgroups of Amish people today.
The Old Order Amish are very traditional. They use buggies and speak Pennsylvania Dutch. The New Order Amish are a bit different. They also speak Pennsylvania Dutch and use buggies. The Beachy Amish are the most modern of the three. They use motor cars and worship in the local language.
The Amish population is growing very fast. There are about 405,000 Old Order Amish in the United States. More than 6,000 live in Canada.
Most church groups consist of 20 to 40 families.
Many things in Amish life link to their deep faith. For example, they practice pacifism. This means they do not serve in the military.
They also value their own schools. Most Amish children finish school after the eighth grade. In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court said Amish children did not have to attend school after that.
This allows them to focus on their community and work. Their way of life is a way to stay connected to their history and their beliefs. They continue to live in a way that honors their traditions.
The Amish are a traditionalist Anabaptist Christian group.
Some scholars describe them as an ethnoreligious group. This means they combine a specific Christian denomination with a shared ethnicity. They are closely related to Old Order and Conservative Mennonites. The Amish prioritize simple living and plain dress. They also value Christian pacifism, which is the belief in nonresistance.
This means they will not perform any type of military service. They often choose to live slowly to avoid modern technological interruptions. This helps them maintain face-to-face conversations and self-sufficiency.
Daily life is guided by a set of rules called the Ordnung.
The Ordnung is reviewed twice a year by all church members. These rules differ slightly between different church districts. The Ordnung covers many aspects of day-to-day living. It includes regulations on clothing and specific limitations on technology. For example, it may prohibit power-line electricity, telephones, or automobiles. These rules help the community maintain a degree of separation from the "worldly" or "English" people.
This separation helps them focus on family and church relationships.
There are three main subgroups within the Amish community today.
The first group is the Old Order Amish. They are very traditional and use horse-drawn buggies for transportation. They also speak Pennsylvania Dutch and conduct worship in German. The second group is the New Order Amish. They also speak Pennsylvania Dutch and use buggies. However, they differ from the Old Order regarding salvation and some agricultural methods. The third group is the Beachy Amish. They use modern technology, including motor cars. They also conduct worship in the local language of their area.
The history of the Amish began with a schism in Switzerland.
In 1693, a leader named Jakob Ammann led a split from the Mennonite Anabaptists. Those who followed Ammann became known as the Amish. This split was partly due to disagreements over how to treat "fallen" believers. One side argued that banned members should be avoided even during common meals. In the early 18th century, many Amish emigrated to Pennsylvania. They sought religious freedom and attractive land. Between 1717 and 1750, about 500 Amish arrived in North America. A second wave of 1,500 people arrived in the mid-19th century.
During the 19th century, the Amish experienced further divisions.
Between 1862 and 1878, yearly ministerial conferences were held to discuss modern pressures. The more progressive members became known as Amish Mennonites. They eventually joined other Mennonite denominations. The more traditional members became the Old Order Amish. In the late 1920s, the Beachy Amish broke away from the Old Order. They wanted to adopt the use of the car. During World War I, the suppression of the German language in the United States created a new language barrier for many groups.
The Amish population is currently growing very rapidly.
There are more than 405,000 Old Order Amish living in the United States. Additionally, over 6,000 Amish live in Canada. Most church districts are relatively small. A single district typically contains between 20 and 40 families. Worship services for Old Order and New Order groups are held every other Sunday. These services often take place in a member's home or a barn. In contrast, the Beachy Amish worship every Sunday in dedicated churches.
Education and social systems also reflect Amish values.
Most Amish children attend small, one-room schools. They typically discontinue formal education after the eighth grade. In 1972, the United States Supreme Court exempted Amish pupils from compulsory education laws. This allows them to focus on community and manual labor. Most Amish do not participate in Social Security. They also generally do not buy commercial insurance. These choices support their goal of maintaining a self-sufficient and separate way of life.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (18)
+ 6 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.