author
William Patton
1798–1879
A 19th-century American pastor and reformer, he wrote widely on religion, temperance, and slavery. His work joined pulpit conviction with a strong interest in public debate and practical Bible study.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1798, William Patton was an American clergyman who served first in the Congregational tradition and later as a Presbyterian minister. He studied at Middlebury College and then at Princeton Theological Seminary, and went on to pastor churches in New York City and New Haven.
Patton is especially remembered for combining ministry with reform work. He was active in the abolitionist cause, and his writing also engaged with temperance and biblical interpretation. Among the books associated with him are The American Crisis, or, The True Issue, Slavery or Liberty?, The Laws of Fermentation and the Wines of the Ancients, and Bible study works such as The Cottage Bible.
He died in 1879, leaving behind the record of a long public career shaped by preaching, publishing, and moral reform. For listeners interested in religious history, his life offers a window into the way faith and social questions were closely linked in 19th-century America.