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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | William Allen |
| Address |
Chillicothe, Ohio , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
December 27, 1803
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| Died | July 11, 1879
(75 years)
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| Contributor | ... |
| Last Modifed | RBH
Jan 06, 2015 02:52am |
| Tags |
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| Info | William Allen, of Quaker ancestry, was the son of a Revolutionary War officer. He was born in Edenton, North Carolina, on December 27, 1803, and when he was 16 journeyed alone to Ohio to be with his sister. He hoped to make his future in the West and began by studying at the Chillicothe Academy for two years, supplementing this education with reading. He then studied law with Colonel Edward King and at age 21 was admitted to the bar. Allen rode the circuit and soon became well known.
Allen's skill in debate and his overall demeanor inspired the Jackson Democrats of his district to nominate him as their congressional candidate; he won, even though the district was Republican. He served only one term in the House of Representatives. Although not reelected he was subsequently appointed by the governor to complete Thomas Ewing's term as a United States Senator. He was reelected to a second term. During this second term Allen coined the political slogan "Fifty-Four/Forty or Fight!," which indicated his strong support of United States territorial rights in Oregon. Allen also favored the annexation of Texas. Salmon P. Chase defeated Allen in his reelection bid, but this did not silence "Earthquake Allen."
He became an outspoken critic of Lincoln and was an anti-war Democrat. Allen made a political comeback in 1873 when he was elected governor of Ohio. He served one term and died at his estate, "Fruit Hill," on July 11, 1879.
William Allen was born in Edenton, North Carolina in December 1803. His ancestors had been Quakers who lived in Pennsylvania, but the branch of the family that had moved to North Carolina was not associated with the Society of Friends. Allen's father, Nathaniel Allen, had served as a colonel in the American Revolution and had also been a member of North Carolina's convention to ratify the United States Constitution. William Allen's mother was Sarah Colburn Allen. Unfortunately, both Nathaniel and Sarah Allen died soon after William's birth. As a result, his half sister and her husband, the Reverend Pleasant Thurman raised Allen.
At the age of sixteen, William Allen became a saddler's apprentice in Lynchburg, Virginia. Allen was not satisfied with his position and decided to move to Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1819, where his sister had moved. There he attended the Chillicothe Academy for two years before studying the law in the office of Edward King. After three years of study, Allen was admitted to the Ohio bar and became King's law partner. Although he was only twenty-one when he began to practice the law, Allen soon gained a reputation for his skills as a debater and public speaker.
In 1832, local members of the Democratic Party persuaded Allen to run for Congress. He ran against Duncan McArthur in a very close race, ultimately winning a position in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is interesting to note that Allen ultimately married McArthur's daughter, Mrs. Effie Coons, in 1842. Allen only served in the House for one term, from 1832 to 1834, before losing reelection. He returned home to Ohio and resumed his career as a lawyer.
Allen's removal from politics was short-lived. In 1837, Ohio's legislature elected Allen as one of the state's U.S. Senators, replacing Thomas Ewing. He was the youngest senator ever elected at that point. He served two terms as senator, from 1837 to 1849. He ran unsuccessfully for a third term in 1849. By the 1840s, the Democratic Party was already becoming divided along sectional lines because of the issue of slavery. Allen became a prominent leader of the Northern Democrats in the Senate. He advocated the westward expansion of the United States, supporting President James K. Polk during the Mexican War. Allen was influential as the chairman of the foreign relations committee in the Senate during this time period. Some accounts credit Allen with originating the slogan "Fifty-four forty or fight!," referring to some Americans' desire to annex the entire Oregon Territory in the 1840s.
As the presidential election of 1848 approached, Allen became caught up in his party's politics. Both Martin Van Buren and Lewis Cass were competing to become the Democratic Party's candidate in the election. Some party leaders asked Allen to enter the contest as a compromise candidate, but he refused to run for the presidency. Instead, Allen chose to support Cass, who lost the election in spite of Allen's enthusiastic campaigning for him. After his second term as senator ended in 1849, Allen returned to his home in Chillicothe, named Fruit Hill. He became involved in agriculture and livestock breeding, remaining out of formal politics until the 1870s. During the American Civil War, Allen identified himself as a Peace Democrat. He was a vocal critic of Abraham Lincoln's administration throughout the war.
Allen reentered the state political scene after the Panic of 1873. Ohio Democrats gained ground as a result of Ohioans' disgruntlement about economic conditions in the state. The Democrats wanted to capitalize on their support, asking Allen to serve as the party's gubernatorial candidate in the election of 1873. Allen ran against the incumbent governor, Edward F. Noyes, ultimately winning the election by 817 votes. Although Allen was seventy years old, he ran an energetic campaign. He served one term as governor from 1874 to 1876.
As governor, Allen worked to reduce the state government's budget and as a result was able to lower taxes in 1875. Not all of his endeavors were as popular as his tax cut. Ohio, like other parts of the nation in the 1870s, experienced a number of labor disputes. Allen tended to be more supportive of managers and business owners than workers, although he still believed that big businesses must respect state laws. If necessary, the governor was willing to call out the state militia to enforce order in labor disputes. Ultimately, his most unpopular measure was his support of the printing of greenbacks, money without backing, which he believed would help alleviate economic problems that Ohio faced at this time. It was this issue that cost his reelection in 1875.
Allen ran against Rutherford B. Hayes in the gubernatorial election of 1875, eventually losing to Hayes. After his term ended, Allen returned to his agricultural pursuits at his home in Chillicothe. He died at Fruit Hill on July 11, 1879, and was interred at Chillicothe's Grand View Cemetery.
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