The year was 1844, 16 years before the start of the Civil War.

The fastest method of

communication was a telegram and slavery was running rampant throughout the United States.

That same year Macon Bolling Allen would become the first African American to receive his

license to practice law in the United States. He would then go on to be the first African American

to hold a judicial position as well as the first African American entrepreneur to open his own law

practice. Post-Civil War Allen would go down to South Carolina where he would play a vital role

in the reintegration of the Confederacy with the United States during the Reconstruction Period.

Allen’s life can be used to demonstrate how individuals can alter the path of history at the

grassroots level long before Congress or even the President have the desire or courage to do so.

Macon Bolling Allen, whose birth name was actually Allen Macon Bolling, was born in Indiana

on August 4th, 1816. Although Indiana was a free state, they were not welcoming to African

American individuals. In 1831, the state required the registration of all African Americans and

required them to post bond asserting that they would not cause any mischief. In 1844 Allen made

his way to Maine where he befriended a local abolitionist and attorney by the name of General

Samuel Fessenden. Impressed with his intelligence, General Fessenden took Allen under his

wing as an apprentice. Within four years Allen had become so proficient that General Fessenden

praised Allen before the District Court and proposed that Allen be admitted to the Maine bar.

Hopes were high because supposedly Maine law allowed anyone “of good moral character” to be

admitted to the bar. Despite this, Allen was harshly rejected because as an African American, he

was not considered a citizen of Maine. This didn’t deter him from pursuing his dreams and he

requested to be admitted by examination. After he passed the exam, and alongside a glowing

recommendation from his mentor, he was declared a citizen of Maine and admitted to practice

law on July 3rd, 1844 at the age of 27.

 With Allen’s admission to the Maine bar,

African Americans were finally able to receive representation in court. Being able to assert

claims on behalf of African Americans helped reform society in ways that would have likely

been delayed without adequate representation. Although he was making a difference, Allen was

still struggling financially. This is because many white Americans were unwilling to have an

African American man represent them in court.

This caused him to walk over 50 miles from Maine to Worcester, Massachusetts in order to take

the Massachusetts bar exam. Once he was admitted to the bar in May of 1845. Allen settled in

Boston where he attempted to procure enough legal work to sustain a living. While there, Allen

partnered with Robert Morris Jr. and opened up the first African American law firm in the United

States. During this process, he came to the realization that the community in Boston,

Massachusetts was not all that different from the community in Portland, Maine.
 Striving for more, Allen completed yet another strenuous exam

and eventually was appointed Justice of the Peace in Middlesex County. During his tenure as a

Justice of the Peace, he was in charge of simple court cases and managing local administrative

applications within the county. Now he was not only the first African American Attorney in the

United States, but he was also the first African American judicial official. In 1847, Allen was

considered to serve as the first Attorney General of Liberia. Although he kindly stated that he

was not interested, he vowed to do whatever was necessary to find an adequate candidate. Allen

was passionate about his cause and believed he would have a greater impact in the United States.
 In 1868, after the end of the Civil War, Allen moved

to Charleston, South Carolina alongside fellow attorneys William J. Whipper and Robert Brown

Elliot. Here the men established the first known African American Law Firm called Whipper,

Elliot, & Allen. In 1872 Allen ran for Secretary of the State. Although he was unsuccessful, his

campaign inspired many African Americans across the country to pursue a career in politics.

While in Charleston, Allen was elected Judge of Charleston County Criminal Court in 1873 and

later was elected as the Probate Judge in Charleston County in 1876. During this period in his

life, the Confederacy was being reintegrated into the Union and they were struggling to establish

the legal status of African Americans. Allen played a key role by taking a stand against

corruption and heavily advocating for reform during the Reconstruction Period.

After the Reconstruction Period, Allen moved to Washington, D.C. where he began working for

the Land and Improvement Association. He worked in this position for the remainder of his
natural life until he passed on October 10th, 1894 at the age of 78. After his death, the National

Bar Association honored him for his groundbreaking work as both the first African American

attorney and the first African American to hold a judicial position as well.

Macon Bolling Allen kick-started the movement for diversity within the legal community.

Despite facing a plethora of racial prejudice early on in his career, he persevered and kept finding

ways to prove himself in the field. Not only was he a devoted lawyer, but he was also extremely

active in politics as well. With his skillset, Allen was able to aid in the abolition of slavery and

was a key player advocating for reform during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil

War. Allen noticed the social injustices, which were regular practice during the time, and forged

his own path for a better future.