Elwood Yoder will speak about "Farmers in Search of Land, Renewal, and Religious Freedom." Most eighteenth-century Mennonite families farmed for a living. However, political difficulties, wars, and persecution pushed them to search for new land for large families. They found increased tolerance for their beliefs, though many migrated to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ontario, Poland, Prussia, and Ukrainian Russia in the eighteenth century. Mennonites became known for innovations in agricultural methods and increased productivity. An Amish division took place in the early eighteenth century. Amish and Mennonites sought to renew their faith, find religious freedom, and settle on fertile land where they could farm and prosper.

Language
English

Featured Speaker
Elwood Yoder

Venue
Weavers Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Virginia, or online

Cost
All lectures are free and open to all.

Organized by
This lecture series is sponsored by the Shenandoah Mennonite Historians, planned by Caleb Schrock-Hurst and Elwood Yoder, and partially funded by the Kennel-Charles Lecture Series at Eastern Mennonite School.

This lecture series is a grassroots collaboration by historians, theologians, and church leaders to mark the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism. All who are interested in the Reformation, the history of Anabaptism and Mennonites, and the Anabaptist churches today are welcome.

The Shenandoah Mennonite Historians have promoted the study, interest, and awareness of Mennonite History since 1993. They conduct tours, hold an annual meeting, and produce a quarterly journal called Shenandoah Mennonite Historian.