Allen, Richard
1760-1831 · Contribution: 1787-1816
Minister; founder and first bishop of the AME Church
Founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first independent Black religious denomination in the United States; became its first bishop
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1760, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Active since
- 1787
- Category
- Religious & Spiritual Leadership
- Best known for
- Founding the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first independent Black denomination in the U.S.
Impact on the world
Allen created the first fully independent Black-led Christian denomination in America, giving free and enslaved Black people an institution wholly their own, one that combined worship with mutual aid, education, and abolitionist organizing.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Primary recordFind
National Archives
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