Richard Allen (February 14, 1760March 26, 1831) was a
minister, educator, writer, and one of America's most active and influential Black leaders. In 1794, he founded the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...
(AME), the first independent Black denomination in the United States. He opened his first AME church in 1794 in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
Elected the first bishop of the AME Church in 1816, Allen focused on organizing a denomination in which free Black people could worship without racial oppression and enslaved people could find a measure of dignity. He worked to upgrade the social status of the Black community, organizing Sabbath schools to teach literacy and promoting national organizations to develop political strategies.
Early life and freedom
He was born into slavery on February 14, 1760, on the Delaware property of
Benjamin Chew
Benjamin Chew (November 19, 1722 – January 20, 1810) was a fifth-generation American, a Quaker-born legal scholar, a prominent and successful Philadelphia lawyer, slaveowner, head of the Pennsylvania Judiciary System under both Colony and Com ...
. When he was a child, Allen and his family were sold to Stokley Sturgis, who had a plantation. Because of financial problems he sold Richard's mother and two of his five siblings. Allen had an older brother and sister left with him and the three began to attend meetings of the local
Methodist Society, which was welcoming to enslaved and free Black people. They were encouraged by their enslaver Sturgis although he was unconverted. Richard taught himself to read and write. He joined the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
s at 17. He began
evangelizing
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...
and attracted criticism from local slave owners. The slave owners were angered by his actions.
Allen and his brother redoubled their efforts for Sturgis so that no one could say enslaved people did not do well because of religion.
[Herb Boyd, ed., "Richard Allen, from 'The Life Experience and Gospel Labors of the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen'"](_blank)
''Autobiography of a People'', Random House Digital, 2000
The Reverend
Freeborn Garrettson
Freeborn Garrettson (August 15, 1752 – September 26, 1827) was an American clergyman, and one of the first American-born Methodist preachers. He entered the Methodist ministry in 1775 and travelled extensively to evangelize in several states. ...
, who had freed his own slaves in 1775, began to preach in Delaware. He was among many Methodist and Baptist ministers after the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
who encouraged slaveholders to emancipate their people. When Garrettson visited the Sturgis plantation to preach, Allen's master was touched by this declaration and began to give consideration to the thought that holding slaves was sinful. Sturgis was soon convinced that slavery was wrong and offered enslaved people an opportunity to
buy their freedom. Allen performed extra work to earn the money and bought his freedom in 1780 when he changed his name from "
Negro
In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...
Richard" to "Richard Allen."
Marriage and family
Allen's first wife was named Flora. They were married on October 19, 1790. She worked very closely with him during the early years of establishing the church, from 1787 to 1799. They attended church school and worked together purchasing land, which was eventually donated to the church or rented out to families. Flora died on March 11, 1801, after a long illness. Scholars do not know if they had any children. After moving to Philadelphia, Allen married
Sarah Bass, a freed slave from Virginia. She had moved to Philadelphia as a child and the couple met around 1800. Richard and Sarah Allen had six children. Sarah Allen was highly active in what became the AME Church and is called the "Founding Mother."
["Sara Allen"](_blank)
, ''Brotherly Love'', PBS, retrieved January 14, 2009
Ministry
Allen was qualified as a preacher and admitted in December 1784 at the famous "
Christmas Conference
The Christmas Conference was an historic founding conference of the newly independent Methodists within the United States held just after the American Revolution at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1784.
Prior to the revolution, ...
", the founding and considered to be the first General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
in North America. Held at the old original
Lovely Lane Chapel meeting house on the narrow lane off modern South Calvert and German (now Redwood) Streets in old
Baltimore Town, (now
Downtown Baltimore
Downtown Baltimore is the central business district of the city of Baltimore traditionally bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the west, Franklin Street to the north, President Street to the east and the Inner Harbor area to the s ...
), largest town/city and port in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. He was one of the two Black attendees of the Conference along with legendary
Harry ("Black Harry") Hosier, (c. 1750–1806), but neither could vote during deliberations in Lovely Lane. Allen was then allowed to lead services at 5 a.m., which were attended mostly by Black people. But as preacher Allen had family responsibilities, eschewing future bishop
Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the colonies and the newly independent United States, he devoted his life to ...
(1745–1816), Irishman
Robert Strawbridge
Robert Strawbridge (born 1732 - died 1781) was a Methodist preacher born in Drumsna, County Leitrim, Ireland.
Early life and ancestral history
Information detailing the early life of Robert Strawbridge is somewhat limited. One article, Robe ...
(c. 1732–c. 1781?) and "Black Harry" Hosier's practices of horseback
circuit riding
In the United States, circuit riding was the practice of a judge, sometimes referred to as a circuit rider, traveling to a judicial district (referred to as a circuit) to preside over court cases there. A defining feature of American federal cour ...
routes to rural country churches and "Bible stations", visiting far off parsons and "living in the saddle", so he moved northeast to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, a center of free Black people and the biggest city in the new United States and second only to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in the English-speaking world, of the now fractured
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
.
By two years later in 1786, Allen became a preacher at
St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
but was restricted to the early-morning services. As he attracted more Black congregants, the church vestry ordered them to be held in a separate area for worship. Allen regularly preached on the
commons
The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...
(central park) near the church, slowly gaining a congregation of nearly 50 and supporting himself with a variety of odd jobs.
Allen and
Absalom Jones
Absalom Jones (November 7, 1746February 13, 1818) was an African-American abolitionist and clergyman who became prominent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Disappointed at the racial discrimination he experienced in a local Methodist church, he found ...
, also a
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
preacher, resented the white congregants' leaders' segregation of blacks for worship and prayer. They decided to leave St. George's to create an independent self-reliant worship place for African Americans of the large cosmopolitan capital city. Unfortunately that brought on some opposition from the white church as well as the more-established Black people of the community who wanted to merely "fit in" or not stir up any hard feelings.
In protest in 1787 (the same famous summer with the
Constitutional Convention holding locked-in sessions in the old Pennsylvania State House, now frequently called "
Independence Hall
Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Fa ...
", with delegates from the
"13 Original States"), Allen and Jones led the Black members out of the St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church. They formed the
Free African Society The Free African Society, founded in 1787, was a benevolent organization that held religious services and provided mutual aid for "free Africans and their descendants" in Philadelphia. The Society was founded by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. It ...
(F.A.S.), a non-denominational mutual aid society that assisted fugitive enslaved people from the South and new migrants coming into the city of Philadelphia. Allen, along with Absalom Jones, William Gray and William Wilcher, found an available lot on Sixth Street near Lombard Street. Allen negotiated a price and purchased this lot in 1787 on which to build a church, but it was several years before they had a building. Now currently occupied by
Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, it is the oldest parcel of real estate in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
that has been owned continuously by African Americans.
Over time, most of the F.A.S. members chose to return to the spiritual home of their youth and forefathers and affiliate with the neighborhood parishes of the former
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
as it slowly recovered from the wartime bitterness of the Revolution after the British ministry government ending the War in the
Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France:
Treaties
1200s and 1300s
* Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade
* Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France
* Trea ...
ratified in 1783 by the
Confederation Congress
The Congress of the Confederation, or the Confederation Congress, formally referred to as the United States in Congress Assembled, was the governing body of the United States of America during the Confederation period, March 1, 1781 – Marc ...
in
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
.The Anglicans which had reorganized themselves in a newly independent America now after the Peace in 1785 with nine dioceses on the East Coast / Atlantic Ocean shores meeting and uniting in their first General Convention as renamed "The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America" (later known simply today as "The Episcopal Church, U.S.A."), with the old familiar Elizabethan era old English texts in the "
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
", with some minor revisions in the first American edition of 1789, replacing prayers for His Royal Majesty, the King and ministers to those for the new President, members of the Congress, Governors and lawful state Commonwealth officials. As many Black people and "Methodists" in Philadelphia had already been Anglicans since the 1740s. It was only during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
(1775–1783) and with the part-time occupation of Philadelphia as the "Patriots" / rebels' capital by the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
that drove out most of the old
English/British ministers of the old
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
faith (priests)
[James Henretta, "Richard Allen & African-American Identity"](_blank)
, ''Early America Review'', Spring 1997, accessed May 16, 2012. They founded the African Church with
Absalom Jones
Absalom Jones (November 7, 1746February 13, 1818) was an African-American abolitionist and clergyman who became prominent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Disappointed at the racial discrimination he experienced in a local Methodist church, he found ...
leading services and preaching the Word. It was accepted as a parish congregation, and opened its doors on July 17, 1794, known as the "
African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas". The following year of 1795, the now Rev. Mr. Absalom Jones was ordained as a
Deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
(one of the earliest in American Episcopal/Anglican Church history) and nine years later in 1804, he became the first Black person ordained in the United States as a
Priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
/
Presbyter
Presbyter () is an honorific title for Christian clergy. The word derives from the Greek ''presbyteros,'' which means elder or senior, although many in the Christian antiquity would understand ''presbyteros'' to refer to the bishop functioning as ...
(
Pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
) of
The Episcopal Church, U.S.A.
Allen and others wanted to continue in the more simpler and evangelical
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
practices inspired by
George Whitefield
George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement.
Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...
,
John Wesley
John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
and his brother
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include " And Can It Be", " Christ the Lord Is Risen ...
. Practices and traditions that had originally been brought from
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
by
Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the colonies and the newly independent United States, he devoted his life to ...
,
Robert Strawbridge
Robert Strawbridge (born 1732 - died 1781) was a Methodist preacher born in Drumsna, County Leitrim, Ireland.
Early life and ancestral history
Information detailing the early life of Robert Strawbridge is somewhat limited. One article, Robe ...
and interpreted in America by
Daniel Coke
Daniel Parker Coke (17 July 1745 – 6 December 1825), was an English barrister and Member of Parliament.
Early life
Coke was the only son of Thomas Coke (1700–1776), a barrister, and his wife, Matilda Goodwin (1706–1777). He belonged ...
,
Daniel Alexander Phelps
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
. Allen called their congregation as the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...
(A.M.E.), and over time it became known as "Mother Bethel" Church. Converting a blacksmith shop on Sixth Street, the leaders opened the doors of Bethel A.M.E. Church on July 29, 1794. At first, it was affiliated with the larger
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
, as organized in Baltimore in 1784, and the Philadelphia congregation had to rely on visiting white ministers for consecrating the bread and wine / sacred elements in the Sunday worship service of
Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
/ "
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
. Otherwise, as a Deacon, he could lead services reading the Scriptures, preaching sermons and leading the assembled prayers and intercessions, In recognition of his leadership and preaching, Allen was ordained as the first Black Methodist minister/elder by Bishop
Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the colonies and the newly independent United States, he devoted his life to ...
of the M.E. Church in 1799. He and the "Mother Bethel" congregation still had to continue to negotiate with white oversight and deal with white elders of the predominantly white Methodist Episcopal Church denomination. A decade after its founding, the Bethel A.M.E. Church of Philadelphia had 457 members, and by 1813, it had risen amazingly to 1,272.
In April 1816, 22 years after the organizing of "Mother Bethel" congregation in 1794, Rev. Allen called for a general conference meeting in Philadelphia and proposed the uniting of the five African-American congregations then existing in the eastern areas of the Methodist Episcopal Church in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
;
Langhorne/Attleborough, Pennsylvania;
Salem, New Jersey
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city's population was 5,146, ;
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
and
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. Together, they founded the independent denomination of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...
(A.M.E. Church), the first fully independent Black denomination in the United States. On April 10, 1816, the other ministers elected Allen as their first
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, which he served in the episcopal office for 15 years until his passing, but 37 years total ministering to "Mother Bethel" of Philadelphia. The African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest and largest formal institution in Black America.
From 1797 until his 1831 death, Bishop Allen and his wife Sarah operated a station in the "City of Brotherly Love" on the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...
on the East Coast line for fugitive enslaved people fleeing from further south in the
slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
and
border states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Preaching
The social themes of Bishop Allen's preaching were abolition, colonization, education, and temperance. The preaching style was almost never expository or written to be read, but the subject delivered in an evangelical and extemporized manner that demanded action, rather than meditation. The tone was persuasive, not didactic.
Negro Convention
In September 1830, Black representatives from seven states convened in Philadelphia at the Bethel AME church for the first Negro Convention. A civic meeting, it was the first on such a scale organized by African-American leaders. Allen presided over the meeting, which addressed both regional and national topics. The convention occurred after the
1826 and 1829 riots in Cincinnati, when whites had attacked Black people and destroyed their businesses. After the 1829 rioting, 1,200 Black people had left the city to go to Canada. As a result, the Negro Convention addressed organizing aid to such settlements in Canada, among other issues. The 1830 meeting was the beginning of an organizational effort known as the
Negro Convention Movement
The Colored Conventions Movement, or Black Conventions Movement, was a series of national, regional, and state conventions held irregularly during the decades preceding and following the American Civil War. The delegates who attended these convent ...
, part of 19th-century institution building in the Black community. Conventions were held regularly nationally.
Death and burial place
Allen died at home on Spruce Street on March 26, 1831.
He was buried at
the church that he founded. His grave remains on the lower level.
Legacy and honors
![19-22-011-museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/19-22-011-museum.jpg)
* In
1949 Allen's story was featured in the radio drama ''
Destination Freedom
''Destination Freedom'' was a weekly radio program produced by WMAQ in Chicago from 1948 to 1950 that presented biographical histories of prominent African-Americans such as George Washington Carver, Satchel Paige, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tu ...
'' episode "Apostle of Freedom".
* In 2001, the Richard Allen Preparatory School, a
charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...
, was opened in his name in southwestern Philadelphia.
*
Richard Allen Schools, a charter school system in Ohio, is named after him
* In 2002,
Molefi Kete Asante
Molefi Kete Asante ( ; born Arthur Lee Smith Jr.; August 14, 1942) is an American professor and philosopher. He is a leading figure in the fields of African-American studies, African studies, and communication studies. He is currently professo ...
named Allen as one of the
100 Greatest African Americans.
* In 2010, a park in the Philadelphia suburb of
Radnor Township was named for him.
* The Richard Allen Homes, a public housing project in Philadelphia, were named for him.
* A street in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
, is named after him.
*
Allen University
Allen University is a private historically black university in Columbia, South Carolina. It has more than 600 students and still serves a predominantly Black constituency. The campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as All ...
, a
historically Black university
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...
in
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, was renamed in Allen's honor when it moved from
Cokesbury
Cokesbury is the retail division of the United Methodist Publishing House. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Cokesbury serves as an agency of the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant d ...
to
Columbia in 1880.
* A stamp honoring Allen was issued by the United States Postal Service in February 2016, with a first-day ceremony in Philadelphia, as part of the ongoing Black Heritage Series.
* A life-sized statue of Allen, by Fern Cunningham-Terry, was erected by Mother Bethel Church July 10, 2016.
* A mural, ''The Legacy of Bishop Richard Allen and AME Church Mural'', was unveiled on July 4, 2016, at 38th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia.
* On February 14, 2022, Allens Lane in Philadelphia's Mt. Airy neighborhood was re-attributed to Richard Allen by resolution of the city's council, facilitated by the efforts of State Rep.
Chris Rabb
Christopher M. Rabb (born February 21, 1970) is an American politician, professor, and author. A Democrat, he is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 200th District since 2017. In a heavily Democratic distric ...
(PA House 200th). A re-attribution of Septa's
Allen Lane station
Richard Allen Lane station (formerly Allen Lane station) is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Philadelphia. It is located at 200 West Allens Lane in the Mount Airy neighborhood and serves the Chestnut Hill West Line. The station building was built ...
is also contemplated.
See also
*
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The Second Great Awakening, which spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, sparked a number of reform movements. R ...
*
Jarena Lee
Jarena Lee (February 11, 1783 – February 3, 1864) was the first woman preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Born into a free Black family, in New Jersey, Lee asked the founder of the AME church, Richard Allen, to be a preac ...
Sources
* George, Carol V. R. ''Segregated Sabbaths; Richard Allen and the Emergence of Independent Black Churches 1760–1840'' (1973), scholarly biography
* Wesley, Charles H. ''Richard Allen: Apostle of freedom'' (1935)
* ''Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume, 1607–1896''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1967.
* Newman, Richard S. ''Freedom's prophet: bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the black founding fathers''. NYU Press, 2008.
References
External links
* James Henretta
"Richard Allen & African-American Identity" ''Early America Review'', Spring 1997.
''Africans in America'', PBS
* , ''Religious Movements'', University of Virginia
Philadelphia: Martin & Boden, Printers, 1833, full text online at ''Documenting the American South'', University of North Carolina.
* Scot McKnight
"Shame on the Philadelphia Methodists"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Richard
1760 births
1831 deaths
People of colonial Delaware
People of colonial Pennsylvania
African Methodist Episcopal bishops
History of Methodism in the United States
African Methodist Episcopal Church clergy
19th-century Methodist bishops
Underground Railroad people
African-American abolitionists
18th-century American slaves
Methodist abolitionists
18th-century Anglican theologians
19th-century Anglican theologians
Burials in Pennsylvania