![]() ![]() Ingersoll believed strongly in First Amendment separation of church and stateĪt a time during which many Americans were calling for a Christian amendment to officially acknowledge God in the Constitution, Ingersoll argued in an oration on July 4, 1876, that one of the strengths of the United States was that “our fathers retired the gods from politics” (5: 21). Ingersoll served as Illinois’ first attorney general and became a lecturer after it was clear that his freethinking was likely to block his way into higher political office. He was an early supporter of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party and fought in the Civil War. After teaching for a time, he studied for the bar in Illinois. ![]() Ingersoll was born in Dresden, New York, the son of a Congregational minister whose wife died when Robert was two years old. Robert Ingersoll (1833–1899), one of the 19th century’s most-sought-after lecturers, was a passionate defender of First Amendment principles, particularly in regard to the separation of church and state. ![]() ![]() (Photo from Library of Congress, dated between 18, public domain) He particularly championed separation of church and state when others were arguing for a Christian amendment to the U.S. Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899) was a sought-after lecturer in the 1800s and a passionate defender of First Amendment rights. ![]()
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