| Amish are people from an old religious sect in America. | | | | Canada and Central America. About eighty per cent |
| They descend from the early European Anabaptists | | | | of the Amish are located in Ohio; Indiana and |
| of the 16th century. | | | | Pennslyvania.The Amish population in America has |
| The Amish first settled near Lancaster County in | | | | grown tremendously over the years. It today stands at |
| Pennsylvania, America in 1730s. This was prompted by | | | | about a hundred and fifty thousand people. |
| the activities of an English Quaker called William Penn | | | | The Anabaptist religion rejected the Martin Luther and |
| and the unstable condition in Europe at the time. | | | | Protestant reforms of the 16th century. They also |
| William Penn acquired land near Lancaster County in | | | | taught the new doctrine of separation of church and |
| 1681 and decided to establish a holy colony that would | | | | state. They fled to remote areas of Europe to escape |
| advocate religious torelance.The political and | | | | persecution. This group fragmented in the late 1600 |
| economical instability as well as religious persecutions in | | | | forming a new outfit of devout Christians who |
| Europe caused a mass exodus to the land of religious | | | | challenged shunning of dissident members. |
| tolerance. | | | | They did not agree on foot washing and custom |
| The biggest immigration of Amish to America took | | | | clothe regulation. This group marked the birth of the |
| place between 1736 and 1770. Among the first families | | | | present day Amish. The Amish religion is further |
| were the Detweiler and Sieber who settled in Berks | | | | divided into eight churches or orders that are |
| County, Pennsylvania. | | | | differentiated by their ways of practicing religion and |
| The Amish have settled in twenty-four states across | | | | conducting their daily lives. |