Robert Green Ingersoll

Born in Dresden, New York, in 1833, he built a wide reputation in the United States as a lawyer, lecturer, and one of the best-known public speakers of his era. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War and later moved into public life in Illinois, where his speaking skill helped make him a national figure.

He is most remembered for his lectures and essays on religion, skepticism, and liberty. Writing and speaking in a lively, accessible style, he challenged biblical literalism, argued for agnosticism, and championed causes including freedom of thought and women's rights. His major works include Some Mistakes of Moses and Why I Am Agnostic.

Although controversial in his own time, his influence lasted well beyond his death in 1899. Readers still return to him for his wit, moral passion, and his insistence that compassion and reason matter more than fear.