Just Over the Line: Chester County and the Underground Railroad

Located just over the Mason—Dixon line dividing free and slave states, Chester County was an important and dangerous junction on the Underground Railroad’s Eastern Line. Predominantly populated by the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, the county saw much debate and conflict brought about by the terrible risk involved in this radical and subversive activity. While traditionally Quakers have been believed to be very cooperative in the enterprise of conducting runaways in their flight ...