Amish

• 1. Origins And Schism

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  In 1693, a sharp disagreement over church discipline tore the Swiss Brethren apart. Jakob Ammann led a faction that demanded strict shunning of members who had been excommunicated from their meals and social circles. This group became known as Amish, while those who opposed him formed the Reistian stream. The conflict centered on how to treat fallen believers. Ammann argued for total avoidance, including shared dining. His opponents believed in withholding only communion but allowing regular interaction. This split created two parallel streams of Anabaptist Christianity in Switzerland and southern Germany. By 1710, the term Amish was used by opponents as a mark of disgrace. The division solidified the identity of what would become the Old Order Amish. Those who followed Ammann moved into more remote areas like the Emmental region. Their zeal pushed them away from settled communities. The Emmentalers eventually merged with Mennonite groups in Europe. Only the Amish branch survived intact across centuries.

• 2. Migration To America

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  Between 1717 and 1750, approximately 500 Amish families migrated to Pennsylvania seeking religious freedom and affordable land. They arrived from the Palatinate and neighboring regions of Europe. Most settled initially in Berks County before moving to Lancaster County due to land pressures and security concerns during the French and Indian War. A second wave of around 1,500 people arrived mid-19th century, establishing communities in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, and southern Ontario. These later immigrants often joined liberal groups rather than maintaining strict Old Order traditions. The Northkill settlement in Berks County became the first identifiable Amish community in the New World in 1740. During the French and Indian War, the Hochstetler Massacre occurred on the 19th of September 1757 when local tribes attacked a Jacob Hochstetler homestead. Father Jacob refused to allow his sons to use weapons despite the attack. His wife Anna and daughter were killed while he and two sons were taken captive. Jacob escaped after eight months but his sons remained imprisoned for years. When freed, both sons joined the church and one became a minister. By the early 20th century, most European Amish had merged with Mennonite congregations. The last European congregation to merge was Ixheim in 1937.

• 3. The Ordnung System

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  Church districts contain between 20 and 40 families who gather every other Sunday in homes or barns for worship services. Each district maintains its own set of rules called the Ordnung which differs slightly from community to community. These rules are reviewed twice annually by all baptized members before Communion takes place. Only if unanimous consent is reached can Lord's Supper be held that year. The Ordnung covers dress codes, technology restrictions, religious duties, and interactions with outsiders. Women vote on questions concerning the Ordnung during these meetings. Prohibitions include power-line electricity, telephones, and automobiles in many communities. Clothing regulations mandate plain attire sewn by hand without buttons for Old Order groups. Single women wear black bonnets while married women wear white ones as visual markers of status. Men grow beards to symbolize manhood but must avoid mustaches due to military associations. The system allows local autonomy since no central governing authority exists across all Amish churches. What passes in one district may be unacceptable in another nearby settlement. This decentralized structure enables adaptation while preserving core values.

• 4. Population Growth Patterns

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  Rough estimates placed the Amish population at 125,000 in 1992, rising to 166,000 by 2000, then reaching 221,000 in 2008. From 1992 to 2008, growth among North American Amish totaled 84 percent annually averaging 3.6 percent per year. During this period they established 184 new settlements and expanded into six additional states. By 2010 about 165,620 Old Order Amish resided in the United States with 73,609 being church members. The average fertility rate reached 5.3 children per family during the 2010s compared to seven children per family in the 1970s. Population doubling occurs roughly every two decades driven by high birth rates and continuous settlement formation. In 2025 the total Amish population stood at 404,575 up from 308,000 in 2016. Settlement numbers grew from 509 to 684 while district counts rose from 2,259 to 3,114. Pennsylvania hosts the largest population at 95,410 followed by Ohio with 86,325 and Indiana with 67,310. Holmes County maintains nearly half its entire population as Amish residents. New settlements continue forming each year: 18 in 2016, 22 in 2017, 17 in 2018, 26 in 2019, 26 in 2020, 18 in 2021, 19 in 2022, 39 in 2023, and 19 in 2024. Rising land prices drive families toward new territories including Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

• 5. Economic Diversification

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  Historically most Amish families engaged primarily in farming but rapid population growth created economic pressures since mid-20th century. In Greater Holmes County approximately 75 percent of married males worked full-time farms in 1965 dropping to only 40 percent by 1996. By 2015 just 16 percent of male family heads listed farming as their occupation while others pursued alternative careers. Common non-farming jobs include roofing carpentry construction metalworking and small-scale manufacturing. Despite this shift away from agriculture many communities still view farming as key for strengthening household bonds. Small farms provide social foundations for raising children through shared agricultural experiences. Over 98 percent of Ohio's puppy mills are run by the Amish according to USDA licensee lists. Lancaster County hosts roughly 300 licensed breeders plus an estimated 600 unlicensed facilities. Approximately 12,000 of the 40,000 dairy farms nationwide remain Amish-owned as of 2018. The ratio of farmers to non-farmers declined from 2.41 to 0.61 during these decades. Construction work and woodworking have become widespread alternatives to traditional agriculture. Many settlements now feature farmers as a minority rather than majority within their populations.

• 6. Genetic Health Studies

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  Amish populations show higher incidences of specific conditions including dwarfism Angelman syndrome and various metabolic disorders alongside unusual blood type distributions. Almost all Amish descend from several hundred 18th-century founders creating what researchers call founder effects. Some recessive genetic conditions appear more frequently though overall disorder rates match general population averages. Children born with such disorders are accepted into the community and assigned chores matching their abilities. Most Amish reject preventive genetic testing before marriage or prenatal screening due to religious convictions. They accept these outcomes as God's will while participating in medical research studies. Their extensive family histories help scientists investigate diseases like Alzheimer's Parkinson's and macular degeneration. Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg Pennsylvania developed treatments for maple syrup urine disease once considered fatal. DDC Clinic for Special Needs Children operates in Middlefield Ohio providing treatment research and education services. Suicide rates among Amish hover around half those of the general population. Overall cancer rates remain reduced despite outdoor labor exposure thanks to protective clothing practices. Tobacco-related cancers affect adults at 37 percent of Ohio adult rates while non-tobacco cancers reach just 72 percent. Skin cancer incidence stays lower even among sun-exposed workers wearing wide-brimmed hats and long sleeves.