Behind Closed Doors AmishThe Amish Church, which began more than 300 years ago in Europe, is a spin-off of Anabaptist Christians. This group organized itself as a distinct branch of Protestantism in the late 17th century under the leadership of a Swiss Mennonite preacher from Bern named Jakob Ammann. Ammann urged his followers to live according to the practices of the early Church and reject modern European society. Ammann attracted followers from across Europe, who eventually traveled to the United States to escape religious persecution. The first major migration of Amish immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1730s, and to this day the largest concentration of Amish is still found there, although Amish communities can now be found in twenty-eight other states, as well as in Canada. In the 18th century, only about 500,000 Amish arrived in Pennsylvania; Another 3,000 arrived in the late 19th century (Prothero 1). Currently, approximately 228,000 Amish live in the United States, primarily in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana (Prothero 1). Traditionally, the Amish lived on farms and traveled by horse and buggy. They continue to dress in simple, homemade clothing, use German in their religious services, and choose to provide for their elderly on their own without benefit of social security. In addition, they survive without electricity and do not own a telephone or a car. They do not vote or serve in the military; however, they pay taxes. Women are restricted to domestic work and are not allowed to use contraceptive methods. The Amish insist on marrying according to their faith and do not allow divorce. They do not send their children to public school beyond the elementary level, believing that school is just an internship...... middle of paper ...... March 11, 2014. Standard English version. Biblical gateway. Internet. October 25, 2012. Peterson, Eugene H. The Message. Biblical gateway. Internet. March 11, 2014. “Introduction: The Amish. » PBS. Website ©1996-2013 WGBH Educational Foundation., nd Web. March 9, 2014. Miller, Wayne F. “Negotiating Modernity: Amish Dispute Resolution.” » Ohio State Journal of Dispute Resolution 22.2 (2007): 477-526. Academic research completed. Marry. February 20, 2014. Prothero, Stephen R. and Queen II, Edward L. “Amish.” In Queen, Edward L., II, Stephen R. Prothero, and Gardiner H. Shattuck Jr., eds. Encyclopedia of American Religious History, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web.Waxman, Olivia B. "Breaking Amish: A Former Follower's True Story of Moving to the Big Apple." Time. © 2014 Time Inc. All rights reserved., September 9, 2012. Web. March 11. 2014.