The Amish or Plain People
The Amish or Plain People- The Amish people originated in Switzerland in 1525 are a
division of the Anabaptist (Re-baptizer) church called the Mennonites. The Amish
believe in the separation of the church and state. They oppose the infant baptism in favor
of baptism as a believing adult. Adult baptism was a crime in the sixteenth century.
Thousands of these religious people were put to death by Protestants and Catholics for
their ideas. As a result large group of Anabaptists moved from Switzerland to Germany
and the Netherlands, to escape religious persecution. The Amish wear plain clothing
styles, which has earned them the name of “The Plain People” or Old Order Amish.
The Amish arrived in America in 1730 and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana also in Canada and Latin America. The American Amish are a very
conservative Christian faith group. Their population in the U.S. is growing, due to large
family size (seven children for family).
There are five religious orders The Old Order Amish, and New Order Amish, are the
most popular. Their churches operate independently from each other with differences in
how they practice their religion and conduct their daily lives. The Old Order Amish are
the largest group and the most conservative.
The Amish priorities are their families, their farm and their faith. They separate
themselves from the things of the world. The Old Order Amish do not permit to the use
of electricity, radio, television or telephones in their homes because they believe
worldliness can introduce destructive influences for their communities and their way of
life. Their children attend school only until eighth grade and are taught by teachers with
only an eighth-grade education, and not state certified teachers. They operate a one-room
parochial school because they want to keep their children in the simple ways of life. They
train their young people vocationally in how to be homemakers, farmers, carpenter and
tradesmen from very early ages. By the time an Amish boy is a teenager he knows farm
operations, and by the time a girl is twelve years old she knows how to cook a meal for a
whole crew. They prefer farming as a way of life because they feel their family and
lifestyle can be best maintained in a rural environment.
The Amish do not use tractors in their fields; they use teams of horses or mules and
buggies. They do not operate or own automobiles, believing that cars would provide
easier access to the way of the world. Their men wear black hats, plain cut trousers and
the women and even little girls wear bonnets and ankle length dresses. To take
photographs is forbidden by old Amish.
The Amish refuse to serve in the military because they are dedicated to a life style of
peace and non-violence. They often come to the aid of those in need. Their language is
German along with English. They usually do not pay social security.
In brief, after this research I learned a lot about the Amish people. I know that they are
very religious and conservative people. Also, they are living well for hundreds of years
without college and electricity.