Authoritative, thorough, and interestingly written, A History of the Amish presents the deep and rich heritage of the Amish people with dozens of illustrations and updated statistics.

The Amish, one of America’s most intriguingly private, unique, and often misunderstood religious communities, have survived for three hundred years! How has that happened?

While much has been written on the Amish, little has been revealed about their history. This book brings together in one volume a thorough history of the Amish people. From their beginnings in Europe through their settlement in North America, the Amish have struggled to maintain their beliefs and traditions in often hostile settings. Chapters include:

• Migration and Persistence: The Amish in Europe, 1693-1801
• Settlement and Struggle in a New World: The Amish in Eighteenth Century Pennsylvania
• Merging Traditions: Amish Mennonites and Mennonites in North America and Europe, 1870-1937
• Finding a Place in Modern America, 1900-1945
• And more!

Now updated, the book gives an in-depth look at how the modern Amish church continues to grow and change. It covers recent developments in new Amish settlements, the community’s conflict and negotiation with government, the Nickel Mines school shooting, and the media’s constant fascination with this religious people, from reality TV shows to romance novels.

Steven M. Nolt is a professor at Goshen College, where he teaches American history and Mennonite history. Over the past twenty years he has visited dozens of Amish communities in numerous states and in Ontario, doing numerous research projects. Nolt’s PhD is from the University of Notre Dame. He is the author or coauthor of a dozen books, most recently The Amish and Seeking Places of Peace, the North American volume in the Global Mennonite History series. He lives near Goshen, Indiana.