About
Robert Green Ingersoll, born August 11, 1833 in Dresden, New York, and died July 21, 1899 in Dobbs Ferry, was an American lawyer, orator, and writer. Nicknamed 'The Great Agnostic,' he was a leading figure of the Golden Age of Freethought. After serving as a colonel during the Civil War, he became Attorney General of Illinois. The most popular orator of his age, he delivered well-attended lectures on agnosticism, Shakespeare, and Lincoln. He advocated for women's suffrage and abolition, and helped revive interest in Thomas Paine.
Major works
- The Gods and Other Lectures (1876)essay
- Some Mistakes of Moses (1879)essay
Key milestones
- 1867Becomes Attorney General of Illinois.
- 1876Delivers the 'Plumed Knight' speech at the Republican National Convention.
- 1892Delivers the eulogy for Walt Whitman.
Themes
AgnosticismFreethoughtSeparation of church and stateWomen's rightsCriticism of religion
Sources: en.wikisource.org · secularhumanism.org