Thomas Mundy Peterson
Encyclopedia
Thomas Mundy Peterson of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
was the first African-American to vote in an election
under the just-enacted provisions of the 15th Amendment
to the United States Constitution
. His vote was cast on March 31, 1870.
, to parents who had been slave
s owned by the Mundy family.
He was a school
custodian in Perth Amboy. Active in the Republican Party, he became that the city's first African-American to hold elected office, on the Middlesex County
Commission. He was also the city's first "colored" person to serve on a jury
.
Peterson voted in a local election held in Perth Amboy, NJ 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 229 to 63. Peterson was afterward appointed to be a member of the committee of seven that made the revisions. American Publishing Company, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. No date. p. 139. Quotes Peterson from an undated newspaper article, likely from 1884 when he received the "voting medal."
In New Jersey, March 31 is annually celebrated as Thomas Mundy Peterson Day in recognition of his historic vote.
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
was the first African-American to vote in an election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
under the just-enacted provisions of the 15th Amendment
Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits each government in the United States from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude"...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. His vote was cast on March 31, 1870.
Biography
He was born in Metuchen, New JerseyMetuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, which is 8 miles northeast of New Brunswick, 18 miles southwest of Newark, 24 miles southwest of Jersey City, and 29 miles southwest of Manhattan, all part of the New York metropolitan area...
, to parents who had been slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s owned by the Mundy family.
He was a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
custodian in Perth Amboy. Active in the Republican Party, he became that the city's first African-American to hold elected office, on the Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
Commission. He was also the city's first "colored" person to serve on a jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
.
Peterson voted in a local election held in Perth Amboy, NJ 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 229 to 63. Peterson was afterward appointed to be a member of the committee of seven that made the revisions. American Publishing Company, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. No date. p. 139. Quotes Peterson from an undated newspaper article, likely from 1884 when he received the "voting medal."
Legacy
Decades later, the school where Peterson had worked was renamed after him.In New Jersey, March 31 is annually celebrated as Thomas Mundy Peterson Day in recognition of his historic vote.