William G. Allen

**William Gustavus Allen** ( – 1 May 1888) na he be an African-American academic, intellectual, den lecturer. For a time na he co-edit *The National Watchman,* an abolitionist newspaper. While na he dey study law insyd Boston he lecture widely on abolition, equality, den integration. Ba dem then appoint am a professor of rhetoric den Greek at New-York Central College, de second African-American college professor insyd de United States.(Na de first be ein predecessor at Central College, Charles L. Reason.) Na he see einself as an academic den intellectual.

Na Frederick Douglass describe am as "a gentleman, a scholar, den a Christian. He be an ornament to society."

Na he meet den fall in love plus a white student, Mary King, na de couple marry in secret insyd 1853. Na dis be one of de first legal marriages between a "colored" man den a Caucasian woman to take place insyd de United States. Na dem immediately lef de country, never to return, secof de violent prejudice against dema relationship. While for a time na he continue dey lecture insyd both England den Ireland, wey na he wrep an autobiographical account wey dey include ein marriage, wich na e sell well, he den ein family eventually fall into obscurity dem near-poverty.

## Biography

### Early life
Na dem born Allen free around 1820 insyd Urbana, Virginia, to a free mixed-race mommie den a Welsh American poppie, both of whom die early insyd Allen ein life. As na he einself note, na he be a quadroon: na ein ancestry be 75% white den 25% black. Na he be light skinned, wey na he reject de label of "negro"; nevertheless, na under Virginia law he be black ("colored"). Na Allen be adopted by a free black couple wey own "a flourishing business" at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

Na Allen be raised by ein birth parents insyd Norfolk, wer na he attend a school give African-American kiddies for two years. Na dem close de school down secof part of de reaction to Nat Turner ein slave rebellion of 1831. Na no school dey give colored kiddies insyd Fort Monroe, buh na he receive sam informal education from Federal soldiers, wey dey include sam French den German. Na he get access to libraries den na to sam degree self-educated, buh na he take advantage of de few educational opportunities available to a black boy. Na a teacher recommend am to Gerrit Smith, a wealthy abolitionist den philanthropist, wey ein help, along plus dat of Lewis Tappan, make am possible give Allen make he attend de Oneida Institute. Na Oneida be de first college insyd de country wey accept African Americans as a matter of policy; na e be a hotbed of abolitionism.

### College den career
At Oneida, like chaw college students for de time, William receive wat insyd de 20th century go be called ministerial training: Hebrew, Biblical Greek, theology, den philosophy, plus small amounts of science, algebra, den public speaking (declamation). During de summer of 1841 na he "teach insyd a school give fugitive slaves insyd Canada" (spy Hiram Wilson).

Na Allen get fond memories of Oneida, from wich he graduate insyd 1844. Na he settle insyd Troy, New York, wer na he be active insyd a black suffrage organization. Together plus Henry Highland Garnet, wey sanso be an Oneida alumnus, he edit den publish de abolitionist newspaper *National Watchman*, insyd wich "de selections den editorials dey show dat he [Allen] be a man of sense, education, den good temper". No surviving copies of de newspaper be known.Wen na e cease publication insyd 1847, Allen move to Boston, wey he study under den dey work as a clerk give de abolitionist lawyer Ellis Gray Loring.

Insyd Boston, Allen cam be well known as a lecturer (spy below).

### Marriage to Mary King
Before de Civil War, na sexual union between white male den black female, usually be forced, na ebe common. (Spy Children of the plantation, Sally Hemings, den Lydia Hamilton Smith.) Na sexual contact between black male den white female exist buh na ebe less common; insyd slave states na ebe considered to always be rape—de white woman never fi consent to am—wey na e result insyd de black man ein immediate execution. While na less serious relations be tolerated insyd sam parts, wey na Massachusetts (per) repeal ein ban on interracial marriage insyd 1843, na actual marriage between black den white be so unusual na dem dey report am insyd de newspaper. (Na African Americans no be U.S. citizens wey na dem generally believe dem be genetically inferior to whites.) Na Zephaniah Kingsley, marry outsyd de U.S. to an African woman wey na he purchase as a slave insyd Cuba, na he for lef Florida after na e cam be a U.S. territory insyd 1821. Na e no be til Frederick Douglass ein marriage to Helen Pitts insyd 1884 wey na a married white–black couple fi live openly insyd Washington, D.C., widout violence, although na dem receive much vituperation.

### Allen ein pamphlets
Na all of Allen ein pamphlets be self-published wey na he intend make he sell for ein lectures to earn watever he fi by dat route, besides na dem send am out to potential lecture venues. Insyd chronological order, dem be:

* *The African race : an essay for the times* (Boston, 1848). Of dis pamphlet of 20 pages na two copies per be known. E dey state dat de "article be from de *Christian Examiner*."
* *Wheatley, Banneker and Horton. With selections from the poetical works of Wheatley and Horton, and the letter of Washington to Wheatley, and of Jefferson to Banneker* (Boston, 1849). Reprinted in 1970 by Books for Libraries Press, . Studies Phyllis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, and George Moses Horton, adding that "we regard Horton as decidedly the superior genius" (p.&nbsp;7). In addition to the poems and the letters from Washington and Jefferson, he includes "sketches" of the authors "written by white persons distinguished for character and standing" (p.&nbsp;7).
** "Introduction", by Allen (pp.&nbsp;3–7).
** "Phillis Wheatley", a slightly abbreviated and edited version of the text found in the Boston, 1837 edition of Wheatley's poetry (pp.&nbsp;9–20)
** Letter of George Washington (p.&nbsp;20)
** Poems of Phillis Wheatley (pp.&nbsp;21–27)
** "Benjamin Banneker", by John H. B. Latrobe (pp.&nbsp;28–31), a slightly abbreviated version of a paper read before the Maryland Historical Society
** Letter of Banneker to Thomas Jefferson (pp.&nbsp;31–34)
** Reply of Jefferson to Banneker (p.&nbsp;35)
** More by Latrobe? (pp.&nbsp;35–38)
** Brief introduction to Horton by Allen (p.&nbsp;39)
** "Explanation", taken from first publication of Horton's poetry (pp.&nbsp;39–41)
** Poems of Horton (pp.&nbsp;42–48)
* 

* 
*  (sold by the author)

## Allen ein topics

### The African race

### Origin of the African race

### Characteristics of the African "race"

### Nations require the combination of races

### Characteristics of the African race

### "American Slavery, the present aspects of the anti-slavery cause, and our duty in relation thereto"

### America and the Americans

### "The great men of a nation are a nation's vitality"

### Orators and oratory

## Writings
*Books den pamphlets
**  (sold by the author)
**
** 
**  Reprinted in 1970 by Books for Libraries Press,  Studies Phyllis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, and George Moses Horton.
**
* Published correspondence
**
** Comments on England. Reprinted in *Frederick Douglass' Paper*, August 5, 1853.
** 
**  On Horace Mann.
**  On Beriah Green.
** Reprinted from the Pennsylvania Freeman.
** 
** On Jews and on races.
** On the Anglo-Saxon and African "nationalities".
**  Includes discussion of *Uncle Tom's Cabin*
**  On Benjamin Banneker
**  On the Hungarian hero Lajos Kossuth. Reprinted in The Liberator, January 9, 1852.
**  Pledges $10 as support "for the establishing of a Semi-Weekly paper published by yourself".
**  Forwards "some lines written by a young lady of this Institution, upon the death of Miss Anna E. Pierce and Joseph P. Purvis, students of New York Central College".
**  Editorial note on Allen in same issue
* Manuscript
**  "30 leaves, 20 of them with delicately mounted sea weed specimens with mss. descriptions, poetry, religious sentiments interspersed." Held by Cornell University Library.
## Studies of Allen
* 
* 
* 
* 

## References