143:
to be a member of the committee of seven that made subsequent amendments leading to the final version that was approved by the State
Legislature on April 5, 1871. Historical records as to his contribution to revisions in the form of minutes, writing, or other records are still wanting. Through his work on the committee, he helped shape the city's educational system by aiding in organization of the Perth Amboy Board of Education in 1870 and construction of School No. 1, the city's first public school. When the school opened for classes in 1871, 378 students enrolled and Peterson became its first custodian.
28:
171:
wearing the medal, is known. In his old age, when he could not hold a full-time job, he was occasionally in want. Too proud to ask for anything, voluntary charitable administrations of his friends were apparently not sufficient, and it seems that on several occasions he had to pledge the medal for a small loan, to be redeemed at the earliest possible moment, until one day the greatest redeemer took hold of him, with the pledge unclaimed. It passed into the hands of the
Honorable Harold E. Pickersgill, Recorder of the City of
155:, which was then called Decoration Day, May 30, 1884. The celebrations included a mass meeting to honor Mr. Peterson, held at the City Hall. The committee in charge was composed of James Lawrence Kearny, Patrick Convery, both of whom had been city officials; J.M Boggs, former collector of the port; Alderman John Fothergill;
170:
Charles F. Hartman (1888-1953) was a prominent
Mississippi book dealer known for collecting and dealing in African-Americana and materials related to the history of the American South. As described by Heartman in 1945, "Little remains to be said. Peterson-Mundy sported a beard, and a portrait of him,
188:
While he is known today as "Thomas Mundy
Peterson," there are no contemporary records that include the three names together. The one exception is the cover for the program describing the ceremony when he was given the "voting medal," and that calls him "Thomas Peterson-Mundy." Contemporary documents
175:
for many years, an indefatigable collector of New
Jerseyana. It was one of his prized possessions. Some time after the judge's death I was fortunate to acquire the medal, an important memorabilia in the collection, where also can be found the pamphlet describing the history and transactions for the
142:
over the town's charter. Some citizens wanted to revise the existing charter while others wished to abandon the charter altogether in favor of a township form of government. Peterson cast his ballot in favor of revising the existing charter. This side won 230 to 63. Peterson was afterward appointed
146:
To honor Thomas Mundy
Peterson as the first African-American voter after the passage of the 15th Amendment, the citizens of Perth Amboy raised $ 70 ($ 2400 in 2023 dollars) to award him with a gold medal. The full medal consists of a gold bar from which a two-inch diameter medallion was hung. The
180:
acquired a large portion of
Heartman's Collection of Material Relating to the Negro Culture, the Peterson-Mundy medal included. It is presently preserved in the XULA Library Archives & Special Collections and has been utilized for exhibitions at numerous historical institutions including the
211:
Peterson may well have been the first to vote after the ratification of the 15th
Amendment — a result of his local election happening to be scheduled the day after the amendment's ratification. But he was far from being, as is often claimed, the first African American to vote in an election.
290:
The first black man to vote in
America, Thomas Mundy Peterson, was a member of St. Peter's and is buried in its graveyard. He voted in the Perth Amboy mayoral election of March 31, 1870, one day after adoption of the 15th Amendment to the United States
167:, Judge of the Court of Errors and Appeals. James Kearny, on behalf of the people of Perth Amboy, presented Mr. Peterson with his medal, which he is said to have loved and never considered himself properly dressed without it affixed to his left breast.
129:
For several years (between 1871 and 1878) Peterson was an employee of the Board of
Education, serving as a custodian of School No. 1 located on State Street in Perth Amboy. He was also a general handyman around town and was active in both the
189:
refer to him as either Thomas Peterson or Thomas (or Tom) Mundy. His death certificate, the undertaker's accounts book, and a land deed all refer to him as "Thomas H. Peterson." In the obituary appearing in
219:
since colonial days, though some later rescinded those rights. New Jersey had allowed black residents to vote if they met residency and property requirements until 1807. And several states of the former
159:; and I.T. Golding, former city official. The committee was representative of the Democratic and Republican parties. There was a program of speaking in tribute to Mr. Peterson, presided by
182:
538:
92:
512:
118:. His father, also named Thomas, worked for the Mundy family. His mother, Lucy Green, was a slave of Hugh Newell (1744–1816) of Freehold Township, New Jersey. She was
102:
His vote was cast on March 31, 1870; the Amendment had been ratified almost two months earlier, on February 3, but was only officially certified by Secretary of State
660:
655:
645:
487:
134:
and the Prohibition Party. It has been claimed that he also holds the distinction of being the city's first "colored" person to serve on a
252:
216:
164:
160:
156:
131:
177:
201:
In October 1989, the school where Peterson had worked was renamed after him. It is currently on State Street, Perth Amboy.
163:. The Reverend Dr. David Stevenson, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, delivered the invocation. The principal speaker was
138:, however, no direct evidence has been found. Peterson is most notably remembered for voting in the local election held at
221:
272:
126:, Peterson married Daphne Reeves, whose mother, Bette, had been a slave on an estate of Andrew Bell in Perth Amboy.
96:
27:
564:
415:
455:
172:
123:
76:
55:
488:"Thomas Mundy Peterson: The First African American to Vote | New Jersey: Then and Now | PBS LearningMedia"
650:
513:"Thomas Mundy Peterson made history as the first Black man to cast a ballot in a United States Election"
233:
139:
640:
635:
115:
41:
302:
586:
565:"Did You Know: Women and African Americans Could Vote in NJ before the 15th and 19th Amendments?"
237:
225:
66:
The first African American to vote in the United States after the passage of the 15th Amendment
243:
In all, more than 700,000 African Americans had cast votes in U.S. elections before Peterson.
587:"An Assessment of Minority Voting Rights Access in the United States, 2018 Statutory Report"
80:
148:
474:
374:
Thomas Peterson: The First Negro Voter in the United States Under the Fifteenth Amendment
539:"Middlesex County park named for first Black man to vote in US — a Perth Amboy resident"
601:
Over 700,000 black citizens voted for the first time in the 1868 presidential election.
277:
629:
176:
presentation, as well as a pencil-portrait sketch of Thomas Peterson-Mundy." In 1948
103:
620:
152:
119:
616:
229:
400:
Heartman, Charles (February 1945). "The Thomas Peterson-Mundy Gold Medal".
88:
402:
The Charles F. Heartman Collection of Material Relating to Negro Culture
388:
North Jersey Legacies: Hidden History from the Gateway to the Skylands
360:
North Jersey Legacies: Hidden History from the Gateway to the Skylands
334:
North Jersey Legacies: Hidden History from the Gateway to the Skylands
135:
84:
320:
Thomas Mundy Peterson: First African-American Voter in the U.S
303:
African-American Firsts Remembered – Newark Public Library
416:"Voter's Medal Highlights Feb. 9-14, Negro History Week"
147:
hanging medal featured a profile bust of a clean-shaven
183:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
442:
The Presentation Of A Medal To Thomas Peterson – Mundy
228:; Louisiana, for example, had elected the nation's
62:
48:
34:
18:
215:Several New England towns and Northern states had
204:In New Jersey, March 31 is annually celebrated as
376:. Perth Amboy, N.J.: The California Oil Company.
240:in 1868, each largely on the votes of freedmen.
151:. It was presented to Thomas Mundy Peterson on
444:. Perth Amboy, New Jersey: H. E. Pickersgill.
8:
122:at age 21 by Newell's will. After moving to
26:
15:
91:under the just-enacted provisions of the
273:"Perth Amboy Church Is 302 And Counting"
75:(October 6, 1824 – February 4, 1904) of
264:
661:African-American history of New Jersey
238:first black elected member of Congress
224:had allowed black suffrage earlier in
217:allowed some free men of color to vote
456:"Historic Perth Amboy Virtual Museum"
208:in recognition of his historic vote.
7:
656:20th-century African-American people
313:
311:
193:he is called Thomas Henry Peterson.
646:People from Perth Amboy, New Jersey
347:History of Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
253:Timeline of African-American firsts
79:, has been claimed to be the first
390:. The History Press, 2012, p. 141.
362:. The History Press, 2012, p. 139.
336:. The History Press, 2012, p. 134.
14:
585:U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
372:McGinnis, William Carrol (1956).
230:first black lieutenant governor
318:Beech, Wendy (February 1994).
178:Xavier University of Louisiana
132:United States Republican Party
1:
191:The Perth Amboy Evening News,
563:U.S. National Park Service.
157:Ex-Mayor Uriah Burdge Watson
677:
97:United States Constitution
52:February 9, 1904 (age 77)
349:Higginson Book Co., 1995.
206:Thomas Mundy Peterson Day
165:Ex-Mayor William Paterson
25:
477:at www.njleg.state.nj.us
475:P.L.1998, jr.001 (AJR31)
422:. 1948-02-15. p. 1
420:Xavier Herald Newspaper
77:Perth Amboy, New Jersey
56:Perth Amboy, New Jersey
161:Mayor James M. Chapman
617:Thomas Mundy Peterson
345:McGinnis, William C.
140:Perth Amboy City Hall
114:Peterson was born in
73:Thomas Mundy Peterson
20:Thomas Mundy Peterson
116:Metuchen, New Jersey
42:Metuchen, New Jersey
543:MyCentralJersey.com
322:. Tribune Magazine.
281:. February 15, 1987
519:. 28 February 2020
492:PBS LearningMedia
234:first black mayor
70:
69:
668:
604:
603:
598:
596:
591:
582:
576:
575:
573:
571:
560:
554:
553:
551:
549:
535:
529:
528:
526:
524:
509:
503:
502:
500:
498:
484:
478:
472:
466:
465:
463:
462:
452:
446:
445:
437:
431:
430:
428:
427:
412:
406:
405:
397:
391:
384:
378:
377:
369:
363:
356:
350:
343:
337:
330:
324:
323:
315:
306:
300:
294:
293:
287:
286:
269:
81:African American
30:
16:
676:
675:
671:
670:
669:
667:
666:
665:
626:
625:
613:
608:
607:
594:
592:
589:
584:
583:
579:
569:
567:
562:
561:
557:
547:
545:
537:
536:
532:
522:
520:
511:
510:
506:
496:
494:
486:
485:
481:
473:
469:
460:
458:
454:
453:
449:
439:
438:
434:
425:
423:
414:
413:
409:
399:
398:
394:
385:
381:
371:
370:
366:
357:
353:
344:
340:
331:
327:
317:
316:
309:
301:
297:
284:
282:
271:
270:
266:
261:
249:
199:
149:Abraham Lincoln
112:
58:
53:
44:
39:
38:October 6, 1826
21:
12:
11:
5:
674:
672:
664:
663:
658:
653:
648:
643:
638:
628:
627:
624:
623:
612:
611:External links
609:
606:
605:
577:
555:
530:
504:
479:
467:
447:
432:
407:
392:
386:Bond, Gordon.
379:
364:
358:Bond, Gordon.
351:
338:
332:Bond, Gordon.
325:
307:
305:at www.npl.org
295:
278:New York Times
263:
262:
260:
257:
256:
255:
248:
245:
226:Reconstruction
198:
195:
111:
108:
93:15th Amendment
68:
67:
64:
63:Known for
60:
59:
54:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
32:
31:
23:
22:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
673:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
633:
631:
622:
618:
615:
614:
610:
602:
588:
581:
578:
566:
559:
556:
544:
540:
534:
531:
518:
517:The Ely Times
514:
508:
505:
493:
489:
483:
480:
476:
471:
468:
457:
451:
448:
443:
440:None (1935).
436:
433:
421:
417:
411:
408:
403:
396:
393:
389:
383:
380:
375:
368:
365:
361:
355:
352:
348:
342:
339:
335:
329:
326:
321:
314:
312:
308:
304:
299:
296:
292:
291:Constitution.
280:
279:
274:
268:
265:
258:
254:
251:
250:
246:
244:
241:
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
218:
213:
209:
207:
202:
196:
194:
192:
186:
184:
179:
174:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
144:
141:
137:
133:
127:
125:
121:
117:
109:
107:
106:on March 30.
105:
104:Hamilton Fish
100:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
65:
61:
57:
51:
47:
43:
37:
33:
29:
24:
17:
651:Free Negroes
621:Find a Grave
600:
593:. Retrieved
580:
568:. Retrieved
558:
546:. Retrieved
542:
533:
521:. Retrieved
516:
507:
495:. Retrieved
491:
482:
470:
459:. Retrieved
450:
441:
435:
424:. Retrieved
419:
410:
401:
395:
387:
382:
373:
367:
359:
354:
346:
341:
333:
328:
319:
298:
289:
283:. Retrieved
276:
267:
242:
214:
210:
205:
203:
200:
190:
187:
169:
153:Memorial Day
145:
128:
113:
101:
72:
71:
641:1904 deaths
636:1824 births
222:Confederacy
173:Perth Amboy
124:Perth Amboy
630:Categories
461:2020-03-20
426:2022-07-19
285:2010-11-27
259:References
120:manumitted
595:29 August
570:29 August
548:29 August
523:29 August
497:29 August
110:Biography
247:See also
89:election
95:to the
236:, and
197:Legacy
87:in an
590:(PDF)
597:2021
572:2021
550:2021
525:2021
499:2021
136:jury
85:vote
49:Died
35:Born
619:at
185:.
83:to
632::
599:.
541:.
515:.
490:.
418:.
310:^
288:.
275:.
232:,
99:.
574:.
552:.
527:.
501:.
464:.
429:.
404:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
