‘Twas Seeding Time: A Mennonite View of the American Revolution

Whose side will you be on?
Will you fight for that side?
Those were the questions facing Pennsylvania Mennonites as the
North American colonies fought for independence from King
George III.
e colonial patriots wanted all able-bodied men to respond to
the call to arms, or if conscience prevented that, to contribute
liberally of their means to the patriots’ cause.
But what about their promise of loyalty to the king, who had provided them a haven of religious liberty, the likes of which they
had not known in Europe? Would the patriots destroy the right
of military exemption promised to the nonresistant people by
William Penn?
As the war dragged on, the Mennonites faced another di cult
question. While trying to keep peace with their neighbours, would
they be able to keep peace among themselves?
In this new edition of John L. Ruth’s classic work, you will learn
about the struggles, triumphs, and human foibles of a peaceful
community caught in the cross re of the Revolutionary War.