THE AMISH are a religious group who originally lived along the Rhine River,in southern Germany and in Switzerland. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, some Amish migrated to the United States, and many settled in Pennsylvania. Other waves of immigrants followed, and today there are a total of about 180,000 Amish spread across 47 states.
This religious group has attempted to preserve the elements of the rural culture that existed in Europe in the early 1700s.They avoid many of the features of modern life by living in communities isolated from mainstream American society.