8- In a nutshell / The Amish... Who are they?

The Amish people.

Today we went on a trip to discover the Amish community in Pennsylvania, to know who the Amish are, how they live, and what make them special.

The Amish movement was founded in Switzerland in Europe by Jacob Amman (1644 to 1720 CE), from whom the name Amish is derived. This movement started as a reform group within the Mennonite movement. It was an attempt to restore some of the early practices of the Mennonites.

The beliefs and practices of the Amish were mainly based on the writings of the founder of the Mennonite faith, Menno Simons (1496-1561), and on the Mennonite Confession of Faith. The Amish who split from Mennonites generally lived in Switzerland and in the Southern Rhine river region. During the late 17th century, they separated because of what they perceived as luck of discipline among the Mennonites.

In the early 18th century, some Amish migrated to the United States. They initially settled in Pennsylvania. Other waves of immigrants became established in New York, Indiana, Missouri and other states.
For more information, please refer to the following websites:
www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml
www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/amish/page1.asp?secid=31