, ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁Am ish ▁settlement ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 7 8 0 s ▁it ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁largest ▁Am ish ▁settlement , ▁but ▁decl ined ▁as ▁families ▁moved ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁S ett lement ▁The ▁first ▁Am ish ▁began ▁migr ating ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁largely ▁to ▁avoid ▁religious ▁per sec ution ▁and ▁comp uls ory ▁military ▁service . ▁The ▁North kill ▁Creek ▁waters hed , ▁in ▁eastern ▁Province ▁of ▁Pennsylvania , ▁was ▁opened ▁for ▁settlement ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 6 ▁and ▁that ▁year ▁Mel ch ior ▁Det we iler ▁and ▁Hans ▁Se iber ▁settled ▁near ▁North kill . ▁Short ly ▁there after ▁many ▁Am ish ▁began ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁North kill ▁with ▁large ▁groups ▁sett ling ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 2 ▁and ▁ 1 7 4 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 4 2 , ▁the ▁group ▁was ▁large ▁enough ▁to ▁pet ition ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Provin cial ▁Assembly ▁of ▁the ▁Province ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁for ▁natural ization ▁rights , ▁allowing ▁them ▁to ▁purchase ▁land . ▁The ▁group ▁was ▁strength ened ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 9 ▁when ▁bishop ▁Jacob ▁H ert z ler ▁settled ▁in ▁North kill ▁and ▁the ▁settlement ▁grew ▁to ▁nearly ▁ 2 0 0 ▁families ▁at ▁its ▁height . ▁ ▁Hoch st et ler ▁mass acre ▁The ▁North kill ▁settlement ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁Blue ▁Mountain , ▁the ▁legal ▁boundary ▁of ▁European ▁settlement ▁according ▁to ▁agre ements ▁with