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William Allen (governor)
Encyclopedia
William Allen was an Democratic Representative
, Senator
and 31st Governor of Ohio. He moved to the U.S. state
of Ohio
after his parents died, residing in Chillicothe, Ohio
.
He was of Quaker ancestry, was admitted to the bar at 21, and began his career as politician in the Democratic Party at a young age. Allen supported "popular sovereignty" and the presidential candidacy of Lewis Cass
, identifying himself as a "Peace Democrat" and opposing the U.S. Civil War. In 2010, the Ohio General Assembly
decided to replace a statue of Allen in the National Statuary Hall
in part because "Allen’s pro-slavery position and outspoken criticism of President Abraham Lincoln
during the Civil War make him a poor representative for Ohio in the U.S. Capitol."
. His sister, Mary Granberry Allen, married Pleasant Thurman, and their son, Allen G. Thurman
, followed in his uncle's footsteps, becoming a lawyer
and politician
. Allen moved to Chillicothe, Ohio
, in 1819 and he and his sister lived there together.
and was admitted to the bar
at age 21.
He served as a Representative from Ohio
from 1832 to 1834, when he lost a bid for re-election, and Senator from Ohio from 1837 to 1849, losing a bid for a third term in 1848. Allen then retired to his farm, "Fruit Hill", which had belonged to his father-in-law, and fellow Ohio Governor, Duncan McArthur
, near Chillicothe, Ohio
, and did not return to public service for nearly a quarter century. He served as Governor of Ohio from 1874 to 1876. He unsuccessfully sought a second two-year term in an 1875 election. At the close of his administration, he retired to private life at Fruit Hill, where he died in 1879.
While in the Senate, Allen was one of a group of Western Democrat expansionists
who asserted that the U.S. had a valid claim to the entire Oregon Country
, which was an issue during the 1844 U.S. presidential election. He suggested that the United States should be prepared to go to war with the United Kingdom
in order to annex the entire Oregon Country up to Russia
n-owned Alaska
at latitude
54°40′N. This position ultimately produced the famous line "54 40 or fight!", coined in 1846 by opponents of such a policy (not, as popularly believed, a slogan in the Presidential campaign).
William Allen was one of Ohio's two statues donated to the National Statuary Collection and stood in National Statuary Hall
in the United States Capitol until, after a statewide poll run by the Ohio Historical Society
, the Ohio National Statuary Committee voted August 26, 2010 to replace him with the statute of inventor Thomas A. Edison.
Allen is buried in Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe.
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...
, Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and 31st Governor of Ohio. He moved to the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
after his parents died, residing in Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
.
He was of Quaker ancestry, was admitted to the bar at 21, and began his career as politician in the Democratic Party at a young age. Allen supported "popular sovereignty" and the presidential candidacy of Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
, identifying himself as a "Peace Democrat" and opposing the U.S. Civil War. In 2010, the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
decided to replace a statue of Allen in the National Statuary Hall
National Statuary Hall
National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along the curved perimeter. It is located immediately south of the...
in part because "Allen’s pro-slavery position and outspoken criticism of President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
during the Civil War make him a poor representative for Ohio in the U.S. Capitol."
Background
Allen was born in Edenton, North CarolinaEdenton, North Carolina
Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...
. His sister, Mary Granberry Allen, married Pleasant Thurman, and their son, Allen G. Thurman
Allen G. Thurman
Allen Granberry Thurman was a Democratic Representative and Senator from Ohio, as well as the nominee of the Democratic Party for Vice President of the United States in 1888.-Biography:...
, followed in his uncle's footsteps, becoming a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Allen moved to Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
, in 1819 and he and his sister lived there together.
Career
Allen studied law with Colonel Edward KingEdward King (Ohio politician)
Edward King was an Ohio legislator and lawyer who was twice Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, and was on the first faculty of the Cincinnati Law School.-Biography:...
and 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...
at age 21.
He served as a Representative from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
from 1832 to 1834, when he lost a bid for re-election, and Senator from Ohio from 1837 to 1849, losing a bid for a third term in 1848. Allen then retired to his farm, "Fruit Hill", which had belonged to his father-in-law, and fellow Ohio Governor, Duncan McArthur
Duncan McArthur
right|thumb|350pxDuncan McArthur was a Federalist and National Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 11th Governor of Ohio....
, near Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
, and did not return to public service for nearly a quarter century. He served as Governor of Ohio from 1874 to 1876. He unsuccessfully sought a second two-year term in an 1875 election. At the close of his administration, he retired to private life at Fruit Hill, where he died in 1879.
While in the Senate, Allen was one of a group of Western Democrat expansionists
Expansionism
In general, expansionism consists of expansionist policies of governments and states. While some have linked the term to promoting economic growth , more commonly expansionism refers to the doctrine of a state expanding its territorial base usually, though not necessarily, by means of military...
who asserted that the U.S. had a valid claim to the entire Oregon Country
Oregon boundary dispute
The Oregon boundary dispute, or the Oregon Question, arose as a result of competing British and American claims to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the first half of the 19th century. Both the United Kingdom and the United States had territorial and commercial aspirations in the region...
, which was an issue during the 1844 U.S. presidential election. He suggested that the United States should be prepared to go to war with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in order to annex the entire Oregon Country up to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-owned Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
at latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
54°40′N. This position ultimately produced the famous line "54 40 or fight!", coined in 1846 by opponents of such a policy (not, as popularly believed, a slogan in the Presidential campaign).
William Allen was one of Ohio's two statues donated to the National Statuary Collection and stood in National Statuary Hall
National Statuary Hall
National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along the curved perimeter. It is located immediately south of the...
in the United States Capitol until, after a statewide poll run by the Ohio Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
, the Ohio National Statuary Committee voted August 26, 2010 to replace him with the statute of inventor Thomas A. Edison.
Allen is buried in Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe.