Chester County was home to a diverse patchwork of religious communities, antislavery activists and free Black populations, all working to end the blight of slavery during the Civil War era. Kennett Square was known as the "hotbed of abolitionism," with more Underground Railroad stations than anywhere else in the nation. Reverend John Miller Dickey and the Hinsonville community under the leadership of James Ralston Amos and Thomas Henry Amos founded the Ashmun Institute, later renamed Lincoln University, the nation's oldest degree-granting Historically Black College and University. The county's myriad Quaker communities fostered strong abolitionist sentiment and a robust pool of activists aiding runaway slaves on their road to emancipation. Author Mark Lanyon captures the rich history of antislavery activity that transformed Chester County into a vital region in the nation's fight for freedom.

During Mark Lanyon's twenty-plus-year career in behavioral health he has supervised and/or directed numerous behavioral health programs in settings such as the prison system, probation and parole, hospitals and inpatient and outpatient programs. Over the past ten years Mark has been involved with his personal genealogy research, which has resulted in his membership in a variety of societies and organizations including the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Since retiring, Mark has been able to concentrate his research on the rich history of antislavery activity in Chester County including the Underground Railroad, the Abolitionist Movement, and the founding of Lincoln University.