Cultural News

The Amish: Living Like 18th-Century Hermits in High-Tech AmericaIn the technologically advanced United States, they live like reclusive hermits, rejecting modernization. They travel by horse-drawn carriages—exactly as seen in old photos. Their economy relies mainly on agriculture, resembling the villagers in The Peach Blossom Spring. They make a living through traditional crafts: blacksmithing, inlaid woodwork, and cheese-making. They use candles at night, study the Bible before bed, and barter to meet family needs.

July 14, 2025, 2:13 pm EDT

 

Their clothing is extremely simple: men wear collarless shirts and old-fashioned suspenders; women don blue or black buttonless robes fastened with pins, often paired with white bonnets. Seeing them feels like stepping into an 18th or 19th-century film scene.

 

However, their refusal to marry outside the community leads to frequent consanguineous marriages, leaving the entire group plagued by genetic diseases—a tragic consequence of their isolated way of life amid a rapidly changing world.