Robert Collyer was a Unitarian minister with a formidable reputation as a preacher and public speaker, and a household name in nineteenth century Chicago and New York. Collyer was a fervent opponent of slavery and served as a Chaplain with the U.S. Sanitary Commission in the Civil War when he was deeply affected by the horrors of the battlefields and military camps. His great Unity Church, and his home, were destroyed in the Great Fire of Chicago and he played a leading part in the restoration of church and city. After twenty years of dedicated work and influence in Chicago, he moved to New York where he revived the fortunes of another once great church.
But this charismatic preacher and national celebrity had humble origins. Born into poverty in Yorkshire, England, he started work in a textile mill at the age of eight. Later he became a blacksmith, and after the tragic death of his young wife, turned to the Methodist Church where he became a Local Preacher. After emigrating to America in 1850 he gained work in a hammer factory on the outskirts of Philadelphia, established his family and continued with his preaching. After nine years of factory work, without theological qualifications or experience as a pastor, Collyer was appointed as an Outreach Minister to the Unitarian Church in Chicago and went on to become one of the city's leading churchmen.
Robert Collyer's life exemplifies the merits of self-help and dedication and the possibilities for advancement in 'the land of opportunity'. His story sheds light on many aspects of social history in both England and America in the nineteenth century - child labor, mass emigration, self-education, the role of the Church and the nature of celebrity in an era before mass communication. His remarkable life reminds us of universal truths about the supremacy of determination, persistence, and faith.