A Life in Time
The milestones of Robert Green Ingersoll's remarkable life — from the frontier to the lecture hall.
Birth
August 11, 1833
Robert Green Ingersoll is born in Dresden, New York, the son of John Ingersoll, an itinerant Congregationalist minister, and Mary Livingston Ingersoll.
Death of His Mother
1836
His mother, Mary Livingston Ingersoll, dies when Robert is just two years old. The family moves frequently as his father preaches across the frontier.
Settles in Illinois
1845
The Ingersoll family settles in Illinois. Robert is largely self-educated, reading voraciously in his father's library and wherever books could be found.
Admitted to the Bar
December 20, 1854
Ingersoll is admitted to the Illinois Bar, opening a law practice first in Shawneetown and later in Peoria, Illinois. He quickly earns a reputation as a brilliant trial lawyer and orator.
Marriage to Eva Parker
February 13, 1857
Ingersoll marries Eva Amanda Parker. Their marriage is by all accounts deeply loving and egalitarian — a hallmark of his beliefs in human equality. He called her the greatest woman he ever knew.
Raises the 11th Illinois Cavalry
Summer 1861
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Ingersoll raises and is commissioned Colonel of the 11th Illinois Cavalry Regiment. He served the Union cause with distinction.
Captured at Lexington, Tennessee
December 18, 1862
During Forrest's raid on Grant's supply lines, Ingersoll and his regiment are captured by Confederate forces under General Nathan Bedford Forrest at Lexington, Tennessee. He is later paroled.
Returns to Law Practice
1863
Following his parole, Ingersoll resigns his military commission and returns to the practice of law in Peoria, Illinois, where he builds one of the state's most successful legal practices.
Elected Illinois Attorney General
1867
Ingersoll is elected Attorney General of Illinois as a Republican, the highest office he ever holds. During his term he begins to openly espouse freethought ideas that would define his public legacy.
"Humboldt" Oration
1869
Ingersoll delivers his celebrated oration on Alexander von Humboldt, praising the great naturalist as a champion of science and human progress. It marks the beginning of his public freethought career.
"Thomas Paine" Oration
1870
Ingersoll delivers a powerful defense of Thomas Paine, rescuing that founding father's reputation from those who wished to obscure his deist and freethought beliefs.
"The Gods" Lecture
1872
Ingersoll delivers and publishes "The Gods," his first major freethought lecture, arguing that humanity must abandon superstition for reason. The lecture causes a national sensation and establishes him as America's foremost freethinker.
"Heretics and Heresies" Lecture
1874
Ingersoll publishes "Heretics and Heresies," a passionate defense of intellectual courage and an attack on religious intolerance throughout history.
"Plumed Knight" Speech at Republican National Convention
June 1876
At the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati, Ingersoll delivers his famous "Plumed Knight" speech nominating James G. Blaine for President. The speech is considered one of the greatest pieces of political oratory in American history.
"The Liberty of Man, Woman and Child" and Move to Washington D.C.
1877
Ingersoll publishes "The Liberty of Man, Woman and Child" and moves his family and law practice to Washington D.C., attracted by the opportunities of the nation's capital. His lecture fees make him wealthy.
"Ghosts" Lecture
1877
Ingersoll delivers "Ghosts," an examination of superstition and the fear-based origins of religious belief, arguing that religion arose from humanity's ignorance of natural forces.
"Some Mistakes of Moses" Lecture
1879
Ingersoll publishes "Some Mistakes of Moses," his most detailed examination of biblical contradictions, historical inaccuracies, and moral problems in the Old Testament. It becomes one of his most-read works.
"The Great Infidels" Lecture
1881
Ingersoll delivers "The Great Infidels," celebrating history's greatest freethinkers and heretics — from Bruno and Galileo to Voltaire and Paine — as humanity's true benefactors.
Moves to New York City
1885
Ingersoll relocates his family and law practice to New York City, where he continues his enormously successful legal career, charging some of the highest fees of any lawyer in the nation.
Star Route Trial
1887
Ingersoll successfully defends clients in the famous Star Route postal fraud trial — one of the most sensational legal cases of the Gilded Age — winning acquittal for his clients after a lengthy prosecution.
"Why Am I an Agnostic?" Essay
1892
Ingersoll publishes a landmark essay explaining his agnosticism: not as denial of the divine, but as an honest acknowledgment of what cannot be known. He argues intellectual honesty demands agnosticism.
Defense of Individual Liberty
1893
Ingersoll continues to lecture nationally, defending individual liberty, the rights of labor, and the separation of church and state. His lectures draw thousands in every major American city.
"Why I Am an Agnostic" Published
1896
Ingersoll publishes the definitive version of his famous lecture "Why I Am an Agnostic," which becomes one of the most widely distributed freethought documents of the era.
"The Truth" Lecture
1897
Ingersoll delivers "The Truth," one of his last major lectures, summarizing his philosophy: that truth sought through reason and evidence is humanity's highest calling.
"Superstition" Lecture
1898
Ingersoll delivers "Superstition," examining how fear and ignorance give rise to religious dogma, and how science and reason are the proper antidotes.
Death
July 21, 1899
Robert Green Ingersoll dies at Dobbs Ferry, New York, at age 65. His death is mourned across the nation. His body is laid out for public viewing at his home, and thousands file past to pay their respects. His wife Eva survives him.
The Dresden Edition Published
1900–1902
Ingersoll's complete works are published posthumously in 12 volumes as the Dresden Edition, named after his birthplace in Dresden, New York. The edition collects his lectures, essays, poems, legal arguments, political speeches, and correspondence.
A Remarkable Life
In sixty-five years, Ingersoll practiced law, led men in battle, served as Attorney General, and became the most celebrated orator in America — all while waging a lifelong campaign for reason, freedom, and human dignity.