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The Charming Nancy sets sail for North America from the Netherlands with 21 Amish families.
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Jacob Hertzler, the first well-known Amish bishop in North America settles in Northkill Creek, in Berks County north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Over the next 50 years, 3,000 Amish will immigrate to North America from Europe.
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Amish begin settling in eastern Ohio, farming side by side with the Native Americans already there.
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Now approximately 250 Amish families reside in Ohio with the Native Americans
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Amid Amish settlements and various churches debate over dress code, separation from society, and use of technology. The first all-church Amish ministers' conference in Wayne County, Ohio (Diener-Versammlung) occurs. It happened almost annually until 1878.
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The more conservative Amish depart the Diener-Versammlung dissatisfied and trigger a major division within Amish communities in North America. The more conservative flank becomes known as "Old Order" Amish because they cling to the Old Ordnung.
The more progressive Amish become Amish-Mennonites, and slowly over several decades become assimilated into Mennonite churches. -
Bishop Henry Egly from Adams County, Indiana creates the Egly Amish. Egly mixes Christian beliefs with the Amish beliefs. It promotes personal conversion, and takes a more personal authority over the congregation.
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The Stuckey Amish form under bishop Joseph Stuckey from McLean County, Illinois. They are more relaxed in their restrictions, and believe God will save all of humanity regardless of religious affiliation.
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The telephone spreads to many homes, even Amish ones. But sveral Amish groups begin debating the dangers that home telephones present to the community.
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At this time, the Amish population in America numbers around 6,000.
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About 20 percent of the Old Order church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania break away and form a new Peachey group. They do not agree with the Old Order's ban on telephones in the home and the strict shunning policy.
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This is the year where Ohio decided school is necessary up to age 18. Unfortunatly, the Amish did not. Many families kept their kids at home believing that school was unecessary.
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Over the next 10 years Amish communities ban connection to the electrical grid. However, they continue to use electricity from batteries, which was never forbidden.
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At this time, about 1,200 Amish people were settled in America. New Amish settlements were growing in Kansas, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Oklahoma and Delaware.
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The North American Amish population surpasses 50,000 and will hereafter double every 19 to 20 years.
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The National Committee for Amish Religious Freedom opens a lawsuit, Wisconsin v. Yoder, demanding that the Amish be exempted from the state's schooling codes. The case goes to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately sides with the Amish, allowing them to withdraw their children from schools (private or public) after the 8th grade.
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Ten years after the Wisconsin v. Yoder decision, Nebraska will still not allow the Amish to use uncertified (Amish) teachers for their children. Deciding against taking further court action, many Amish leave the state for Ohio and Pennsylvania.
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About 123,000 Amish living in North America.
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An Amish community in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania receives international attention when Charles Carl Roberts IV shoots 10 Amish schoolgirls, killing five of them before taking his own life. Reaching out to the assailant's widow and parents a few hours after the incident, Amish people forgive Roberts and extend grace to his family, earning widespread recognition as a forgiving community.
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Amish settlements are now scattered as far west as Colorado, south to Texas and northeast into Maine. At this time, 28 states as well as the Canadian providence of Ontario have Amish communities. Most migrating Amish are searching for inexpensive land and/or fleeing encroaching urban sprawls. Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana still host almost two thirds of America's Amish population, which now totals around 261,000.