Buchanan Amish affiliation facts for kids

The Buchanan Amish affiliation is a special group of Amish people who live a traditional lifestyle. They started in 1914 in Buchanan County, Iowa. This group is known for being one of the most traditional and conservative among all Amish communities. They are the fourth largest Amish group, with many church districts spread across different states.

How the Buchanan Amish Began

The Buchanan Amish group started in 1914. Seven families from another Amish settlement in Kalona, Iowa, moved to Buchanan County. They wanted to live an even more traditional and strict life. Later, other families joined them from places like Kansas, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

This group was also part of an important event about schooling. In the 1960s, there was a disagreement about whether Amish children had to go to school past the 8th grade. This issue went all the way to the highest court in the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court. The court case, called Wisconsin v. Yoder, decided that Amish children did not have to attend school past 8th grade. A famous photo from November 1965 shows Amish schoolchildren in Buchanan County running into a cornfield to avoid the police during this time.

Their Way of Life

The Buchanan Amish affiliation uses very little technology. They are quite similar to the Swartzentruber Amish and the Swiss Amish in Adams County, Indiana. In the 1980s, they were known for being very traditional and slow to change their customs. For example, they do not allow bicycles or scooters.

Here's a look at some technologies and how the Buchanan Amish use them:

• Tractor for fieldwork: No
• Roto-tiller: No
• Power lawn mower: No
• Propane gas: No
• Bulk milk tank: No
• Mechanical milker: No
• Mechanical refrigerator: No
• Pickup balers: No
• Inside flush toilet: No
• Running water bath tub: No
• Tractor for belt power: Some (This means they might use a tractor engine to power other machines, but not to pull things in fields.)
• Pneumatic tools: No
• Chain saw: Yes
• Pressurized lamps: Yes
• Motorized washing machines: No

As you can see, they say "No" to most modern technologies. They are one of the most conservative Amish groups when it comes to technology.

Where They Live

In 2011, the Buchanan Amish affiliation lived in 19 different states. They had 67 settlements, which are like small communities, and 140 church districts. A church district is a group of families who worship together.

This group makes up about 7 percent of all Old Order Amish people. In 2015, there were about 20,000 Buchanan Amish out of a total of 300,000 Old Order Amish. They live in more states and have more settlements than any other Amish group.

Health Studies

Studies have looked at the health of Amish children in Indiana. They found that these children had very low rates of asthma and allergies. For example, only 5.2% of Amish children had asthma, compared to 21.3% of Hutterite children in South Dakota. Similarly, only 7.2% of Amish children had allergies, compared to 33.3% of Hutterite children.

The Amish and Hutterites live similar traditional lifestyles. However, their farming methods are different. Hutterites often use large-scale, industrial farming, while the Amish do not. A study from 2016 found important differences in the children's immune cells and in the dust found in their homes. This led scientists to believe that the Amish environment helps protect children from asthma by shaping how their immune system develops.