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Robert Abbott was born on November 24, 1868 on St. Simon's Island, Georgia to Thomas and Flora Abbott. When Robert's father died in 1868, he and his mother moved to Savannah, Georgia to be near her family. On July 26, 1874, Robert's mother married John Sengstacke and they had seven children. Robert became known as Robert Sengstacke Abbott.
When Robert was eight years old, he worked in the summer as an errand boy in a grocery store. In order to teach him work ethics, he mother had him pay ten cents a week for room and board. In 1886, Robert entered Beach Institute to prepare for college. He attended Claflin University and Hampton Institute and worked as an apprentice at the "Savannah Echo" newspaper. His stepfather published a local paper called the "Woodville Times." Abbott experienced difficulties at Hampton because of his lack of social skills. He was befriended by a white teacher, Hollis Burke Frissell, who helped him adjust. Abbott recalled that Frissell told him that, "I should prepare myself for the struggle ahead that in whatever field I should decide to dedicate my services, I should be able to point the light not only to my own people but to white people as well." Abbott completed his printing course at Hampton in 1893 and his academic work in 1896.
Abbott enrolled in Kent College of Law in 1897. He graduated with a bachelor of law degree on May 20, 1899, the only African American in the class. It was difficult for Abbott to practice law in Chicago because of racial discrimination. Instead of pursuing law as a career he obtained a card from the printer's union and began planning to launch a newspaper. The first issue of Abbott's paper, the "Chicago Defender," appeared on May 5, 1905. In 1912, the Defender began selling on the newsstands. Abbott sold his paper, obtained advertisements and collected the news. The newspaper's first headquarters was at 3159 State Street, which was owned by his landlord, Henrietta Lee, where it remained for 15 years. Henrietta Lee was a surrogate mother to Abbott and assisted him in the developing stages of his newspaper. Her daughter became a long-time employee of the "Defender." Abbott ran the paper virtually by himself. He received volunteer contributions by reporters, and railroad workers sent him printed material left on the trains for his news articles.
In 1909, Abbott launched a campaign against vice in the black community. In 1910, Abbott hired J. Hockley Smiley as managing editor. Smiley was instrumental in changing the format of the newspaper. He often printed sensational headlines in red and established sports, editorial, theater and society departments. After Smiley's death in 1915, Abbott secured associates to help him with the paper. The "Defender's" circulation had reached 230,000 by 1920, two-thirds being sold outside of Chicago. In his newspaper, Abbott supported the migration of blacks from the South to the North. His campaign was called "The Great Northern Drive."
In 1921, Abbott began printing the paper with a high-speed rotary printing press at a new location, 3435 Indiana Avenue. The paper's circulation increased and Abbott prospered. He included articles on lynchings and racial conflict and added topics such as fashion, arts and blacks outside the United States. He received many honors and awards, including honorary degrees from colleges such as Wilberforce and Morris Brown. He became president of the Hampton alumni association and a member of the board of trustees.
Abbott married Helen Thornton Morrison on September 10, 1918. They traveled toured Brazil in 1923 and Europe in 1929. He was divorced from Helen in 1933 and married Edna Denison in 1934. It was known that neither of his wives loved him. He did have over 100 relatives who loved him and to whom he was generous. He educated and trained his nephew, John Herman Henry Sengstacke, the son of his half-brother Alexander, to take over the "Defender."
Abbott died on February 29, 1940. A large funeral was held at Metropolitan Community Church and he was buried in Lincoln Cemetery. The paper was taken over by his nephew, John Sengstacke. Abbott was a shrewd businessman and skillful at addressing the needs and opinion of the black community. He is remembered as one of the major black spokesmen of his time.
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