Philip Allen (September 1, 1785December 16, 1865) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
manufacturer
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a ran ...
and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
from
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
. He served as
Governor of Rhode Island
The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...
and as a
Democratic member of the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
.
Early life
Allen was born in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
, the son of Zachariah Allen and Nancy Crawford Allen.
He was educated by private tutors and attended Taunton Academy and Robert Rogers School in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
. In 1803, he graduated from the
College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (the former name of
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
) at Providence.
After graduation, he engaged in mercantile pursuits and foreign commerce before becoming a manufacturer of cotton goods in
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 cen ...
. He was president of the Providence Insurance Company, and in 1831 he began manufacturing cotton goods in Providence.
Political career
He began his political career as a member of the
Rhode Island House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is composed of 75 members, elected t ...
, serving from 1819 to 1821.
In 1827, he was appointed pension agent and president of the Rhode Island branch of the United States Bank.
Allen was elected as the
Democratic Governor of Rhode Island
The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...
in 1851.
He served as Governor until 1853, when he resigned that office after being elected to represent
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
.
Allen served in the Senate from July 20, 1853 to March 3, 1859, and was Chairman for the
Committee of Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry during the
Thirty-third Congress
The 33rd 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, ...
and the
Thirty-fourth Congress
The 34th 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, ...
.
He was not a candidate for renomination, and retired from politics and business in 1859.
He died in Providence on December 16, 1865,
and is interred in the
North Burial Ground
The North Burial Ground is a cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island dating to 1700, the first public cemetery in Providence. It is located north of downtown Providence, bounded by North Main Street, Branch Avenue, the Moshassuck River, and Ceme ...
in Providence.
Family life
He married Phoebe Aborn in 1815, and they had eleven children.
Honors
In 2016, Allen was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.
References
External links
*
*
National Governors Association
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Philip
1785 births
1865 deaths
Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
American people of English descent
Democratic Party United States senators from Rhode Island
Democratic Party governors of Rhode Island
Democratic Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
19th-century American politicians
Brown University alumni
Burials at North Burying Ground (Providence)