Home - Gift Shop - Traveling Exhibits - Location - Tours - Attractions - Questions Group Reservation Form A Brief History of the Amish The Illinois Amish are tied to their Reformation beginnings by their history, faith, simple way of life, and plain dress. The Amish grew out of the Reformation Anabaptist movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1525. The movement included the Swiss Brethren and Hutterites in Southern Europe and Mennonites in the north. Anabaptists insisted on the baptism of believing adults rather than infants. Refusal to follow any government or to fight in armies led to persecution by Catholic and Protestant states. In 1693, the Amish separated from the Swiss Brethren. Their name came from Jacob Ammann, an early leader. The main difference was over social shunning of members who broke church rules. Amish began moving to America in the early 1700s. There are no Amish in Europe today. They slowly came westward and reached Peoria, Illinois, in the 1830s. This group later became Mennonite. The Arthur, Illinois, settlement began with conservative families in 1865, and had grown to about 4200 in 2000. The Arthur Amish all belong to the same church which is unusual. Some Amish communities have as many as eight separate groups. More History