In researching their new book, “Slavery, Friends, and Freedom in Bucks County,” authors Pat Mervine and Joe Coleman have uncovered dozens of untold stories about Bucks County people and places involved with the Underground Railroad. They have been able to link Bucks County to daring escapes, challenges to the Fugitive Slave Act, and even an infamous Supreme Court decision, all of which made national headlines.  This program will focus on the remarkable lives and motivations of three local people who were driving forces in abolition and the Underground Railroad:  one woman, two men; one white, two black. The book, “Slavery, Friends, and Freedom in Bucks County,” will be available for purchase. The full purchase price of $30 (cash, check, or PayPal) goes to the African American Museum of Bucks County’s Capital Campaign.

Presented by Patricia L. Mervine 

Patricia L. Mervine enjoyed a 30-year career as a speech/language pathologist and assistive technology consultant in Bucks County schools.  For her second act, Pat has become immersed in researching local history.  Her first book on local history, "Boone Farm: Its People and Place in Middletown History,” tells the stories of the twenty-one owners of the Boone Farm, a 1716 stone farmhouse on the banks of Core Creek. That property is soon to be the permanent home of the African American Museum of Bucks County.  Both "Boone Farm" and "Slavery, Friends, and Freedom in Bucks County" are Pat’s gifts to the African American Museum of Bucks County, a project she believes in with whole heart and soul.  For her volunteerism and advocacy, Pat was named the 2025 recipient of the Bucks County Women’s History Month Award.

Questions? Contact Chryssi at 215-355-1183 or guminac@buckslib.org