The Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865, when the people of the United States turned on each other in disagreement about slavery. This was a hard time for everyone, but a particularly confusing one for the Mennonites and Amish. Most Mennonites and Amish, tried to stay away from military service, being pacifists. The Amish believe that “to keep oneself unspotted from the world" from the bible, means to stay away from things the "world" does like: cars, TV’s, movies, make-up, and things like electricity and phones. The Amish have church services in their own homes, taking turns hosting on Sundays, and do not have church buildings. Similar to the Amish, Mennonites believe in simplicity in their lifestyles. They express that simplicity in a spirit of stewardship and awareness of the needs of others rather than completely separating from society as the Amish do. Amish and Mennonites are still very similar though, believing in salvation through conversion by the Spirit of God, baptism, and discipline in the church, like shunning. The Mennonite and Amish people teach on nonresistance, paying taxes, and being loyal to government. After a year of war, alarm and panic began to arise when the first draft threat loomed over them by the summer and fall of 1862. Many …show more content…
Not very long after this fine was put into play, a large majority of Mennonite families had given all the required money to keep themselves out of the fighting to the local military committee. The Amish were soon granted the same ability as the Mennonites to pay a fine to be able to not be drafted. The Amish were completely nonresistant and even if drafted, would not fight, but they were happy to pay any fees required to not be drafted into the war where they would be forced to