The Plain People

The Plain People

ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

The Plain People

The mere mention of the Amish people brings about intrigue, wonder, and the nostalgia of days gone by. The Amish are a religious group that split from the Mennonites, an Anabaptist group that was severely persecuted in Europe. These people came to America and Canada during the Protestant Reformation. The Amish were founded by a Swiss Anabaptist leader, Jacob Amman. The Amish in 1693 split from the Mennonites because they believed in a much stricter allegiance to the total shunning of banished church members (Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology: Health and Illness in the World's Cultures, 2004). As time has gone on the ways of the Amish people has continued to cause them to stand out. Some of...