William Allen (governor)

William Allen ( born December 18, 1803 in Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina; † July 11, 1879 in Ross County, Ohio ) was an American politician. He represented the state of Ohio in both chambers of Congress and was from 1874 to 1876 the 31 governor.

Early years

Early William Allen came to Lynchburg in Virginia, where he attended private schools. In 1819 he moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, where he attended the Chillicothe Academy. Later he also studied law. In 1827 he was admitted to the bar, after which he was working as a lawyer in his new hometown.

Political career

In Congress

William Allen was a member of the Democratic Party, for which he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives 1833-1835. Between 1837 and 1849 he was a member of the U.S. Senate in Washington. He was chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. After the end of his time in Congress, he retired to his farm " Fruit Hill " near Chillicothe. There he spent the next 25 years.

Governor of Ohio

During the Civil War he was one of the critics of the policies of President Abraham Lincoln. In 1873, William Allen returned as the candidate of the Democratic Party for the upcoming gubernatorial elections on the political stage. He won with 47.8 percent of the vote just before the Republican incumbent Edward F. Noyes ( 47.6 percent) and was able to take up his post on 12 January 1874. He was the first Democratic governor of Ohio since William Medill, who had held office 1853-1856. In his two years in office, taxes were lowered and reduced government spending. Strikes on the railroads and in mining could successfully be settled. In 1875, Allen failed in an attempt to re-election. Therefore, he resigned from his post on 10 January 1876.

Another Journey

After the end of his governorship Allen withdrew from politics. He turned back to agriculture on his farm " Fruit Hill ", on which he died in July, 1879. William Allen was married to Effie McArthur Coons. The couple had a child.

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