*Starred Review* Born a slave in colonial Philadelphia, Richard Allen bought his freedom and went on to become a leading black activist before the Civil War, laying the groundwork for modern black nationalist ideology, though he is best known as the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Newman offers an incredibly detailed and astute look at Allen both in the context of religion and in the broader context of American history and philosophy on equality. Allen challenged white leaders by enjoining debate about the immorality of slavery during a time when the national ideology was one of republicanism, which encompassed the notion of citizen virtue and self-sacrifice. He also practiced an expansive black leadership, championing abolition, racial uplift, and black immigration to Haiti or Africa when he suffered disappointment about the prospects for racial justice in the U.S. Newman portrays a man driven by a moral and philosophical impulse for racial justice, evolving as he faced personal, religious, and leadership challenges, as well as the broader national challenge of living up to a creed of equality at a time when the Founding Fathers fell short of those ideals.--Bush, Vanessa Copyright 2008 Booklist

Newman (Rochester Institute of Technology) has produced a rich, imaginative, and probably definitive portrait of Richard Allen (1760-1831), the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Much is uncertain about Allen's life; it is unclear whether he was born in Philadelphia or in Delaware. Converted in a Methodist revival in 1777, Allen convinced his owner of the evil of slavery and was able to purchase his freedom. Moving to Philadelphia, he became a favored associate of Methodist bishop Francis Asbury. In 1793, however, angry over racial segregation, Allen left to found his own congregation, Bethel Church, which was the forerunner of the AME denomination, and to become the acknowledged leader of Philadelphia's African American community. Newman argues that Allen was "the nation's first black prophetic leader," critiquing "American glorification in favor of a broader vision of national salvation." Allen not only preached, but also offered penetrating critiques of racism in the US, explored the possibility of black emigration to Haiti, and encouraged boycotts of slave produce. Newman makes a convincing case that Allen deserves the iconic status of "Founding Father" as much as Washington or Jefferson. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. T. D. Hamm Earlham College

Although Richard Allen created the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and was one of the first black pamphleteers and abolitionists, he is not a well-known figure of black history today. Newman (history, Rochester Inst. of Technology; The Transformation of American Abolition) has written a thorough biography of Allen that casts him as a black founder who profoundly impacted the cause of abolition and black community building as well as a peer to the white Founding Fathers. Born a slave, Allen earned his freedom and became both a Methodist minister and a businessman in Philadelphia. Methodists supported abolition, but Allen broke with the denomination after many struggles for racial equality and formed the black AME Bethel Church, an institution that would come to play a pivotal role in black uplift. Allen struggled with rebellion within his own church, however, and briefly supported the unpopular cause of African colonization. Because evidence of Allen's life is sparse at points, Newman occasionally offers speculations, but on the whole this biography is well written and researched. Recommended for academic libraries.-Kathryn Stewart, Salem, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In this elegant and insightful biography, historian Newman (The Transformation of American Abolitionism) offers a vivid portrait of Bishop Richard Allen (1760-1831), a tireless preacher committed to ending slavery and fostering equality for blacks in postrevolutionary America. Born a slave in Philadelphia, Allen converted to Methodism when he was 17 during a revival held at his master's house. After obtaining his freedom, Allen helped to establish two of the most important black-led organizations in early America: the Free African Society, a benevolent organization, and Bethel Church, the birthplace of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, one of the most powerful African-American denominations in the United States. Although Allen is best remembered for his religious leadership, his work moved far beyond these circles. According to Newman, his ability to create independent black organizations as well as initiate a published discourse among free blacks established him as one of the nation's founding leaders. Newman's beautifully written study is not only a first-rate social history of the early Republic and African-American culture and religion, it provides a detailed sketch of Allen that is sure to become the definitive biography of the leader. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved