White Buggies, Cigars, And The Game Boy: Amish Diversity In America

The Amish of North America are a diverse group. As an Ohio Amishman recently put it, "the typical English (Amish term for non-Amish person) fellow looks at one of us and just sees an Amishman. In reality there is a lot of difference."

The Old Order

The most 'mainstream' group is known as the Old Order Amish. The Old Order is found throughout North America, in approximately two dozen states, as well as Ontario. Large Old Order settlements are found in Holmes and Wayne Counties of Ohio, Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, LaGrange and Elkhart Counties in Indiana, and Geauga County in Ohio. These four settlements rank as the largest in the country.

Old Orders use the horse and buggy, though styles can vary. The gray carriage is found largely in Lancaster County and its daughter settlements. The black 'Ohio' and 'Indiana' styles are popular in most other communities.

There is a wide variety of practice within the Old Order itself--the Amish religion is very congregational, in the sense that outside of a few key tenets of belief, cultural practice may differ to a significant degree. In the Lagrange settlement of northern Indiana, for example, which consists of over 120 Amish congregations, Amish on the western side are generally considered more progressive than on the eastern side of the settlement. This is reflected in certain practices--for example, gasoline engine mowers are allowed in some churches, while others require members to use push-mowers. Children in some homes in more progressive congregations were recently even seen with hand-held video game players.

The New Order

The so-called 'New Order' emerged in the 60's and 70's as a response to a desire for change regarding certain practices within the Old Order. Specifically, New Orders became open to the idea of a more personalized faith experience, and were desirous of youth study of the Bible, elements that were largely absent in traditional Old Order practice. New Order Amish also came out strongly against two cultural practices seen among the Old Order: tobacco use, and bed courtship, also known as bundling.

Today, New and Old Orders enjoy a friendly coexistence in large settlements such as Holmes County. New Orders use the horse-and-buggy and dress in a plain fashion. They tend to be more progressive regarding technology: some allow telephones in the home, take advantage of public electricity, and are generally more liberal on tractor use. However, one New Order Amishman explained that the two groups in Holmes County are in a sense closer to each other than they once were, perhaps reflecting a decline in cultural practices the New Order has found objectionable.

Swiss Amish

The Swiss are an interesting group for a number of reasons. Swiss are largely found in a few Indiana settlements--Adams and Allen Counties near Fort Wayne, as well as in Daviess County in the southern part of the state. Amish in these communities speak a somewhat different Swiss-influenced dialect, which Amish in other settlements can find amusing to listen to. In Adams and Allen Counties, only open-top carriages are allowed, which can make traveling in inclement weather a bit tricky. The Swiss would generally be considered part of the Old Order, 'Swiss' referring more to their place of origin and differing cultural practice.

Ultraconservatives

There are a number of ultraconservative groups in the Amish world. Perhaps the most conspicuous are the Swartzentruber Amish and related subgroups such as the Troyer Amish.

Swartzentrubers and their kin are primitive in appearance--typically living in homes with fairly unkempt yards, dirt lanes, and tin roofs. Swartzentrubers use outside toilets and do not have hot water in the home. As a result they may bathe rather infrequently compared to other Amish. Swartzentrubers tend to stick to farming more than most other Amish groups, which have steadily moved off the farm and into other occupations, such as home businesses, especially furniture making, as well as construction work and factory employment.

Nebraska Amish, mainly found in the Big Valley area of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, also lean to the conservative end of the Amish spectrum. Nebraska Amish are unique in using the white-topped buggy. Clothing differs as well--Nebraskans forgo suspenders on men and bonnets on women. Nebraskan men dress in tones of brown and gray. Men also wear their hair longer than other Amish.

Other highly conservative groups can be found in settlements in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and other areas.

Beachy Amish

The history of the Amish in America has been marked by a number of divisions. Early in the 20th century a group of Amish separated from the main body and adopted a number of modern practices, such as the use of cars, public power, and meetinghouses for church service. This group became known as the Beachy Amish, and while retaining a number of Old Order practices and beliefs, are sometimes considered closer to Mennonite groups.

This is just the tip of the iceberg concerning the wide variety of practice within Amish America.

Good sources for further information include books such as The Riddle of Amish Culture by
Donald Kraybill, as well as Amish Society by John A. Hochstetler.