Amish People in America
Imagine living in house with no electricity, or not having the luxury of driving an automobile. Picture not being able to eat at fast food restaurants or shop at the mall. There are people in our nation who live like that every day. Amish people have been living in America since the early 1700’s. The Amish societies have grown tremendously, and continue to live by their own rules in an ever changing world. With all of the technology available today, Amish leaders choose not to indulge, but rather to live a simple life. Although there are some minor differences in Amish bands, Amish do not falter from their traditions or beliefs and rituals. In about 1730 the first Amish settlers arrived and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Amish were led by Jakob Anman in a split from the Mennonites over differences in beliefs. Since settling in Pennsylvania the Amish have split into several different groups and are settled in several different states.
People of the Amish society are emerging agriculturalists. Their primary mode of subsistence is farming. For the most part Amish men and children work on the farm. Women take care of the home and help with barn chores if the family lives on a farm (Kraybill, 2001). Amish farms are not known to be big, but just enough to provide for the family. Amish are not allowed to run big farms in order to control power. As in most cultures, Amish women play a major role in maintaining the family. The Amish family usually consists of ten to twelve members. Amish women take care of the children as well as all of the house work. If the man owns a shop, then sometimes his wife will work there, or run the business. Religion is a big part of Amish culture; Amish people practice adult baptism. Although all Amish family members attend church, membership is not gained until baptism. They believe that only adults can make informed decisions about their own salvation and commitment to the church (Powell, Amish 101).
People of the Amish society are emerging agriculturalists. Their primary mode of subsistence is farming. For the most part Amish men and children work on the farm. Women take care of the home and help with barn chores if the family lives on a farm (Kraybill, 2001). Amish farms are not known to be big, but just enough to provide for the family. Amish are not allowed to run big farms in order to control power. As in most cultures, Amish women play a major role in maintaining the family. The Amish family usually consists of ten to twelve members. Amish women take care of the children as well as all of the house work. If the man owns a shop, then sometimes his wife will work there, or run the business. Religion is a big part of Amish culture; Amish people practice adult baptism. Although all Amish family members attend church, membership is not gained until baptism. They believe that only adults can make informed decisions about their own salvation and commitment to the church (Powell, Amish 101).
References: Egenes, L., (2009). Visits with The Amish. Iowa City, IA. University of Iowa Press Hostetler, J. (1993). Amish Society. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Kraybill,D., (2001). Riddle of Amish Culture. Baltimore, MD. John Hopkins University Press Sweider, D. & Sweider E. (1975). A Peculiar People. Ames Iowa: Iowa State University Press Wesner, E., (2010). Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive. Hoboken, NJ. Jossey-Bass http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/pennsylvania/a/amish_3.htm