Greetings from the Amish schoolhouse!

Thank you for visiting The Amish Schoolhouse. Let the learning begin by opening the door. You will find all the information you need about the Amish here. Have you ever wondered why Amish ride buggies instead of cars? The place to look is here.

History of Amish people

The Amish have their roots in Europe’s Protestant Reformation. New Testament purity was emphasized. A group of reformers became known as the Anabaptists. Theirs was the earliest Amish community. The unity of the church was challenged by them. There was persecution of Anabaptist groups throughout Europe. A fine and imprisonment were imposed on them. As well as Catholic and Protestant authorities, they faced fierce opposition.

Anabaptist sympathizers had privately surrounded Menno Simons. Priest of the Dutch Catholic Church. His public conversion to the Anabaptist movement occurred in 1536. Anabaptist churches across Europe were nurtured by him. It was Menno Simons who gave the name Mennonites.

Jakob Ammann was a Mennonite in Amish history. Coreligionists in large areas were divided by his controversial teachings. Amish settlements sprang up in Switzerland, Alsace, Russia, and Holland as a result. A split occurred between Ammann and the Mennonites in 1693. An Amish family raised several orphans under his guidance in 1701.

Amish history was shaped by William Penn. Tolerance of religion was a policy he followed. Amish set sail for America when he offered them religious freedom. Amish immigrants to America were divided into two groups. It was in the mid 1700s that the first wave of Amish arrived in America. During the early-to-mid-1800s, the second wave of immigration took place. Berks County, Pennsylvania, was the first Amish settlement. In the colonial period, most Amish lived outside Lancaster County despite the county becoming one of America’s largest Amish population centers. Political and military turmoil afflicted the Amish during the American Revolution.

Education in the Amish community

Compared to public education, Amish education is very different. To earn a living and live a Christian life, the Amish want to teach their children what they need to know. The bible is not taught in Amish schools. Home and church are the only places where the bible is taught. There are bible readings, devotions, and prayers in schools.

The school bell is rung early in the morning on a typical Amish school day. In many parts of the country, one-room schools still exist. The curriculum includes arithmetic and reading lessons. Health, geography, history, English, spelling, and geography are also taught.

Amish children’s education was once a source of contention. Public schools were not an option for the Amish. There were many court cases involving the Amish. Authorities wanted to close Amish schools in 1965. The basis for action should be uncertified teachers. Wisconsin vs Yoder was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1972. Amish object to high school and higher education because it teaches values that are in conflict with their lifestyle. Even though the Amish won this case, a minority of parents still send their children to public schools.

It is common for Amish schoolhouse teachers to only have completed eighth grade education after leaving school a few years ago. Single teachers are required. It is the Amish school board that hires and sometimes fires teachers. In order to assist them in their teaching, Amish teachers use a magazine called Blackboard Bulletin.