James Cameron Allen was a U.S. Representative

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

.

Born in Shelby County, Kentucky

Shelby County, Kentucky

Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 42,074. Its name is in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky. Its county seat is Shelbyville...

, Allen attended the public schools.
He moved to Indiana in 1830.
He studied law.
He was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 in 1843 and commenced practice in Sullivan, Indiana

Sullivan, Indiana

Sullivan is a city in Hamilton Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,617 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is the county seat of Sullivan County...

.
He served as prosecuting attorney for the seventh judicial district of Indiana 1846-1848.
He moved to Palestine, Illinois

Palestine, Illinois

Palestine is a village in Crawford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,366 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palestine is located at ....

, in 1848 and continued the practice of law.
He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1850 and 1851.

Allen was elected as a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 to the Thirty-third

33rd United States Congress

The Thirty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853 to March 3, 1855, during the first two years...

 Congress (March 4, 1853-March 3, 1855).
Presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Thirty-fourth

34th United States Congress

The Thirty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1855 to March 4, 1857, during the last two years...

 Congress and served from March 4, 1855, to July 18, 1856, when the House decided he was not entitled to the seat.

Allen was subsequently elected to fill the vacancy thus caused and served from November 4, 1856, to March 3, 1857.
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1856.
Clerk of the House of Representatives in the Thirty-fifth

35th United States Congress

The 35th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1859, during the first two years of James...

 Congress 1857-1859.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor in 1860.

Allen was elected circuit court judge in April 1861 and served until he resigned in 1863.

Allen was elected to the Thirty-eighth

38th United States Congress

-House of Representatives:Before this Congress, the 1860 United States Census and resulting reapportionment changed the size of the House to 241 members...

 Congress (March 4, 1863-March 3, 1865).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1864 to the Thirty-ninth

39th United States Congress

The Thirty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1865 to March 4, 1867, during the first month of...

 Congress.
He resumed the practice of law.
He was reelected circuit court judge in 1873 and upon the establishment of the appellate court was appointed its judge, occupying both positions and serving from 1873 to 1879.
He moved to Olney, Illinois

Olney, Illinois

Olney is a city in Richland County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richland County.-History:...

, in 1876 and practiced law.
He retired from the practice of his profession in 1907.
He died in Olney, Illinois

Olney, Illinois

Olney is a city in Richland County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richland County.-History:...

, January 30, 1912.
He was interred in Olney Cemetery.