Elisha Hunt Allen

Whig Representative of Maine's 8th district

  • Representative

    Maine, district 8

    May 31, 1841 - March 3, 1843

1

Congresses Served

1

House Terms

January 28, 1804 (78 years old)

Birthday

January 1, 1883

Death

  • American judge, congressman, lawyer, and diplomat.
  • Born in New Salem, Massachusetts, and educated at Williams College.
  • Began legal practice in Vermont before moving to Maine, where he became involved in local politics.
  • Served in the Maine House of Representatives and was its Speaker in 1838.
  • Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the Whig Party, serving from 1841 to 1843.
  • Appointed as the United States Consul in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 1850 to 1853.
  • Became a citizen of the Kingdom of Hawaii and served as Minister of Finance under King Kamehameha III.
  • Advocated for the annexation of Hawaii by the United States and opposed foreign influence from France and Britain.
  • Served as Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Hawaii Supreme Court from 1857 to 1877.
  • Held the position of Minister Plenipotentiary from Hawaii to the United States from 1856 until his death in 1883.
  • Negotiated the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, which allowed for tariff-free trade and U.S. use of Pearl Harbor.
  • Married twice and had six children, with notable descendants involved in various professions.
  • Died from a heart attack at the White House during a New Year’s reception.