The Amish movement was founded by Jacob Amman, a 17th-century citizen of Switzerland. The Amish began immigrating to North America in the early 1700s, first settling in Pennsylvania. Most Amish live in the United Sates and there are now over 250,000 Amish people living in over 28 states. The Amish follow the teachings of Jacob Ammann, and he taught his followers to live non-resistant lives, care for the community, work the land, and follow the Bible exactly. He believed strongly in the practice of excommunication. …show more content…
Although the Amish are allowed to use automobiles for select social and business functions, the church rules prohibit members from owning or driving a car. They also don’t have any type of telephones and electricity in their homes. Electricity is considered worldly-minded, and links the Amish to the outside world, so most communities ban it. However, recently, some communities allow a phone to be shared among a few households. The phone is banned to be inside the home and is instead kept in a shack or barn outside of the home. A large part of the closeness and survival of Amish communities lies in the fact that members are mutually dependent upon each other. Neighbors helping neighbors has been a long-standing foundation of the Amish lifestyle. Many Amish worry that the practical benefits of speed, efficiency, and power of the automobile would eliminate the need for one neighbor seeking the assistance of another neighbor. Their beliefs and learnings are what set them out to live that …show more content…
They also traditionally keep land within families, and the land is usually passed on to younger sons rather than to older sons, or daughters. Another tradition the Amish practices is Rumspringa. It’s when they allow and encourage their children at the age of 16 to experiment and explore the world outside their own culture. During this freedom, the teens are allowed to disobey strict behavioral rules and community rules, because since they aren’t baptized yet, they can’t hold anything against them. This is done, so the teens make certain that they are giving their informed consent, if they decide to be baptized. Another important custom is language. Language is the key in culture and for the Amish the language they speak was shared by most of the older Amish. For example, the Amish generally speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch.
The schools are one-room building run by the Amish and taught by teachers with an eighth-grade education. Any further education beyond 8th grade is discouraged, although many adolescences are given instructions after graduation in their homes. Although Amish families stop sending their children to school after eighth grade, the society itself acts as a occupational school. Children learn how to be farmers, homemakers, carpenters, and tradesmen. Amish girls know how to cook a full meal and boys understand farm operations,