The opportunity to practice their faith "unmolested and undisturbed" brought the Amish to North America as early as 1737. And for many generations, their conflicts with the government were limited to Amish objections to participation in American wars. But as the government"s regulatory power grew in the 20th century, clashes between the Amish and the state escalated dramatically. Apart from the early years of persecution in Europe, the middle of the 20th century has brought more conflict with government than any other period in the 300 years of Amish history. This book brings together legal scholars and social scientists to explore the series of conflicts between a traditional religious minority and the modern state. In the process, the authors trace the preservation - and the erosion - of religious liberty in American life. Kraybill begins with an overview of the Amish in North America and describes the "negotiation model" used throughout the book to interpret a variety of legal conflicts. Subsequent chapters deal with specific aspects of religious freedom over which the Amish and the state have clashed. Focusing on the period from 1925 to 1975, in both the United States and Canada, the authors examine conflicts over military service and conscription, Social Security and taxes, education, health care, land use and zoning, regulation of slow-moving vehicles, and other first amendment issues. In the concluding chapter, constitutional expert, William Ball, who defended the Amish before the Supreme Court in 1972 in the landmark "Wisconsin v. Yoder" case, assesses the Amish contribution to preserving religious liberty in the United States.