Macon Bolling Allen, the First African-American Licensed Attorney

Macon Bolling Allen, the First African-American Licensed Attorney Macon Bolling Allen was not only the first African-American licensed to practice law in the United States, he was also the first to hold a judicial post. Allen was born A. Macon Bolling in 1816 in Indiana. As a free African-American, Allen learned to read and write. As a young adult, he gained employment as a schoolteacher. Allen Becomes an Attorney During the 1840s, Allen moved to Portland, Maine. Although it is unclear why Allen moved to Maine, historians believe it may have been because it was a free state. While in Portland, he changed his name to Macon Bolling Allen. Employed by General Samuel Fessenden- an abolitionist and lawyer- Allen worked as a clerk and studied law. Fessenden encouraged Allen to pursue a license to practice law because anyone could be admitted to the Maine Bar association if they were considered to have good character. However, Allen was initially rejected because he was not considered a citizen because he was African-American. However, Allen then decided to take the bar examination to bypass his lack of citizenship. On July 3, 1844, Allen passed the exam and became licensed to practice law. Yet, despite earning the right to practice law, Allen was unable to find much work as an attorney for two reasons: many whites were not willing to hire a black attorney and there were very few African-Americans living in Maine. By 1845, Allen moved to Boston. Allen opened an office with Robert Morris Sr. Their office became the first African-American law office in the United States. Although Allen was able to make a modest income in Boston, racism and discrimination were still presentpreventing him from being successful. As a result, Allen took an exam to become a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex County in Massachusetts. As a result, Allen became the first African-American to hold a judicial position in the United States. Allen decided to relocate to Charleston following the Civil War. Once settled, Allen opened a law office with two other African-American attorneysWilliam J. Whipper and Robert Brown. The passing of the fifteenth amendment inspired Allen to become involved in politics and he became active in the Republican Party. By 1873, Allen was appointed a judge on the Inferior Court of Charleston. The following year, he was elected as a probate judge for Charleston County in South Carolina. Following the Reconstruction period in the south, Allen relocated to Washington D.C. and worked as a lawyer for the Land and Improvement Association. Abolition Movement After becoming licensed to practice law in Boston, Allen caught the attention of abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison. Allen attended an anti-slavery meeting in Boston. Most notably, he attended the anti-slavery convention in May 1846. At the convention, a petition was passed around in opposition to involvement in the Mexican War. However, Allen did not sign the petition, arguing that he was supposed to defend the United States Constitution. This argument was made public in a letter written by Allen that was published in the Liberator. However, Allen ended his letter arguing that he still adamantly opposed enslavement. Marriage and Family Life Very little is known about Allens family in Indiana. However, once moving to Boston, Allen met and married his wife, Hannah. The couple had five sonsJohn, born in 1852; Edward, born in 1856; Charles, born in 1861; Arthur, born in 1868 and Macon B. Jr., born in 1872. According to United States Census records, all of Allens sons worked as schoolteachers. Allens Death Allen died on October 10, 1894, in Washington D.C. He was survived by his wife and one son.