Robert Jefferson Breckinridge was born on March 8, 1800 in Cabell’s Dale, Kentucky. A lawyer, politician, educator and pastor, he lived a remarkable life. The son of a divided state, he was a man of many conflicts: 1) he was an Old School Presbyterian who authored the 1834 Act and Testimony which led to the 1837 Old School-New School split; 2) he was a slave-holder who desired gradual emancipation of slaves and became a fervent abolitionist and Union supporter; 3) two of his sons fought for the Confederacy and two fought for the Union; and 4) he supported Abraham Lincoln for President in 1860 over his own nephew, John C. Breckinridge, the Southern Democratic candidate.
He is also known as the "father of the Kentucky's public school system." Notably, he aimed to make the Bible central to public education. He wrote many works on Presbyterian church government, Roman Catholicism, worship, and the state of the country in tumultuous times. We continue to add his writings to our site, but today in particular we remember his life and recommend his books for your study.