Background
Elisha Hunt Allen was born on January 28, 1804 in New Salem, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of Samuel Clessen Allen, congressman, and Mary (Hunt) Allen, member of an influential family of the Connecticut Valley.
congressman Diplomat politician
Elisha Hunt Allen was born on January 28, 1804 in New Salem, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of Samuel Clessen Allen, congressman, and Mary (Hunt) Allen, member of an influential family of the Connecticut Valley.
Allen entered Williams College at fifteen, graduated second in his class and after studied law with his father.
Allen practised law for a short time in Brattleboro, Vermont. Late in 1828 he moved to Bangor and in a few years formed a partnership with John Appleton, subsequently chief justice of Maine. In 1835 he was elected to the Maine House of Representatives and served for five years, one as speaker.
In 1840 he was elected a representative in Congress on the Whig ticket, defeating his personal friend, Hannibal Hamlin.
In 1846 he moved to Boston and in 1849 represented the city in the legislature. He then accepted a nomination as consul at Honolulu thinking that a few years in the tropics might benefit his health. The position of consul was one requiring much tact as the whale ships made Honolulu a rendezvous and there was often friction between the sailors and the natives, but Allen managed affairs with excellent judgment and his activity and eloquence were of great assistance in restoring order after Honolulu had for two days been in possession of a furious mob of between two and three thousand sailors. On the expiration of his consulship the King of Hawaii offered him the post of minister of finance, which he accepted and held until 1857, when he became chancellor and chief justice with a seat in the cabinet. He retained these positions for twenty years. A well-read lawyer and naturally of a judicial temperament, he discharged his judicial duties well.
In 1876 he was obliged to return to the United States because of the health of his wife. He was appointed Hawaiian minister and served for the remainder of his life, becoming by virtue of seniority dean of the diplomatic corps.
He died suddenly at the President's New Year's reception on January 1, 1883.
Allen is best known as a diplomat for the Kingdom of Hawaii. The great object of his career was to secure the closest relations between Hawaii and the United States. While consul he carried a treaty of annexation with certain limitations to Washington but it was not accepted. As a Hawaiian official he made various similar attempts sometimes in person and sometimes by deputy and in 1876 had the pleasure of seeing the final conclusion of a treaty of reciprocity which also prevented Hawaii from granting similar privileges to any other nation or in any manner alienating any of its territory. He also openly advocated annexation of the islands by the United States, and opposed French and British influence.
Allen was a member of the Whig party and joined frequently in the debates, defending the Whig principles in regard to banking and protection.
Allen was twice married: his first wife was Sarah E. Fessenden of Brattleboro, Vermont; his second was Mary Harrod Hobbs of Bangor. Allen had three children.
