Richard Allen was elected and ordained as the first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Philadelphia. This marked the formal establishment of the AME Church—the first independent Black denomination in the United States—founded to give African Americans spiritual autonomy and resist racial discrimination in worship spaces. Allen’s leadership laid the foundation for generations of Black religious and civic activism.

On this day, Richard Allen was named the first bishop of the newly formed African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Founded by several independent Black congregations seeking religious autonomy and freedom from racial discrimination, the AME Church became the first independent Black denomination in the United States. Richard Allen, a former slave and prominent preacher, led the movement, marking a major milestone in Black religious and civic leadership.