Pennsylvania Dutch facts for kids
The Pennsylvania Dutch are a group of people who moved to the United States a long time ago. Most of them were Protestant Christians. They traveled a long way, often along the Rhine River, to reach the sea and then sailed to America. Many of these settlers made their homes in Pennsylvania.
Some of the main groups among the Pennsylvania Dutch were the Mennonites, the Amish, and people who belonged to the Moravian Church. These groups kept their unique way of life and their own language. This language is still spoken today and is called Pennsylvania Dutch.
We don't know the exact number of Pennsylvania Dutch people. However, based on how many people speak the language, there are likely between 390,000 and 420,000 of them. A large part of this group, about 80%, are Amish or Old Order Mennonites. Other Christian groups, like Lutherans and other Protestants, make up a smaller part, about five percent, of those who speak the language.
Images for kids
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Diagram indicating Pennsylvania Dutch settlement in the United States
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Shelter House in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, built in 1734 by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers. It is one of the oldest buildings in Pennsylvania that people still use.
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This old picture of Germantown shows the first log cabin of Francis Daniel Pastorius (built around 1683). It also shows his later house (built around 1715) and a print shop.
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Many Mennonites from Pennsylvania used Conestoga wagons to travel to Waterloo County in Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Pennsylvania Dutch para niños
