Richard Allen (June 10, 1830 – May 16, 1909) was a carpenter, contractor, businessman and, after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

, a Republican politician in Texas. He was elected to two terms in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

. In 1878, he was the first African American in Texas to run for statewide office, but was unsuccessful in his campaign for lieutenant governor.

Early life

Born into

slavery 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 ...

in Richmond,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

, in 1830, Allen was taken to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

as a child when his master migrated there in 1837. While still enslaved, Allen gained a reputation as a skilled carpenter.

Career

After

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchi ...

following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, Allen went into business as a contractor. He built a mansion for Joseph R. Morris,

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

. He also built one of the first bridges across

Buffalo Bayou Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving body of water which flows through Houston in Harris County, Texas. Formed 18,000 years ago, it has its source in the prairie surrounding Katy, Fort Bend County, and flows approximately east through the Houston Shi ...

. Allen first entered public service in 1867, working as an agent for the Freedmen's Bureau, a federal organization created to assist emancipated slaves. He joined the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. In 1868, he won a seat to represent

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...

and Montgomery counties in the

Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful a ...

, serving in the Twelfth Legislature in 1869. He was re-elected to the Thirteenth Texas Legislature, but the election was contested. The increasingly Democratic-dominated legislature seated his Democratic opponent, Gustave Cook, instead. Allen worked to improve public education and to establish state pensions for Civil War veterans. He served on the Texas House Roads and Bridges Committee. In 1870, Allen entered the race for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

from his district, but withdrew his candidacy during the early part of the Republican nominating process. In his business life, that year Allen co-founded the Bayou City Bank in Houston. In 1872 he won a street paving contract with the City of Houston. In 1878 Allen unsuccessfully ran for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

; he was the first African American in Texas to run as a candidate for a statewide office. After leaving the legislature, he continued to be active in the Republican Party. He attended state and national conventions as a delegate until 1896 (for more than two and a half decades). Allen also served as a quartermaster in the Texas militia. He received a federal appointment as a US customs officer in Houston during a Republican presidential administration.

Personal life

Allen married and had five children. He was a Baptist, and was active in his church and in local community organizations.

Death

Upon his death in 1909, Allen was interred at the Olivewood Cemetery in Houston.

Early life

Career

Personal life

Death

See also

References

Further reading