Token on the Freedman’s Coat: The Story Behind Thomas Mundy Peterson’s 1884 Voting Medal

Thomas Mundy Peterson is celebrated as the first African American to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment. Independent historian and author Gordon Bond will examine Peterson’s legacy beyond the ballot, talking about how on May 30, 1884, citizens of Perth Amboy, NJ, pinned a gold medal to his coat in honor of his having done something that, in another part of the nation, a noose might have been put around his neck for daring. Based on Bond’s book, To Cast a Freedman’s Vote. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ewing Library.