"9 Commerce Lane" - New Program Now Available!

On March 31, 1870, Thomas Mundy Peterson became the first African American in the United States to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution when he cast his ballot in a Perth Amboy, NJ, city charter referendum. Though he was encouraged to do so by his white employer and others, he went home for lunch first to think it over. One can imagine him mulling things over, perhaps dicussing it with Daphne, his wife, before making a choice that would make history. This raises the question...

Where did Thomas Peterson and his family call home?

Researching Peterson's life for the 2020 book, "To Cast a Freedman's Vote," I figured out the answer to that question and revealed the fascinating story of how they came to own their own house.

Moreover, the opportunity has presented itself to conduct an archeological investigation of the site before it is lost to a planned development!

Just in time for Thomas Mundy Peterson Day in New Jersey on March 31, 2022!

To book this program, please contact me at gordon@gardenstatelegacy.com