Thomas Mundy Peterson | |
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| Born | October 6, 1826 |
| Died | February 9, 1904 (age 77) |
| Known for | The first African American to vote in the United States after the passage of the 15th Amendment |
Thomas Mundy Peterson (October 6, 1824 – February 4, 1904) of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, has been claimed to be 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; the Amendment had been ratified almost two months earlier, on February 3, but was only officially certified by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish on March 30.[1][2]
- ^ "Perth Amboy Church Is 302 And Counting". New York Times. February 15, 1987. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
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 [sic] election of March 31, 1870, one day after adoption of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- ^ African-American Firsts Remembered – Newark Public Library at www.npl.org