When introducing his work, Charles Evans wrote the following,
"The motive that has prompted the preparation of the present work, has been the hope that, by thus bringing the substance of the principal parts of the narratives of other writers into a more condensed form, the members of the religious Society of Friends--especially the young-- may be induced to make themselves familiar with its rise, and the severe trials that attended its early progress..."
Charles Evans was born on December 25, 1802 in Philadelphia. He went on to study medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1836, he married Mary Lownes Smith. He was also a very active member of the Society of Friends and wrote often for The Friend journal.
This new edition is dedicated to the readers of the library of the Friends Meeting, Washington D.C.