In 1810 The African Insurance Company was created with offices located at 159 Lombard Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It was the first African American-owned insurance company in the United States. The first president was Joseph Randolph while Cyrus Porter was treasurer and William Coleman was its secretary. The establishment of an insurance company by African Americans was a natural progression from beneficial societies that had emerged just after the American Revolution.

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1870 – The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing the right of citizens to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

1870 US state of Iowa ratifies the 15th Amendment of the United States Constitution allowing suffrage for all races & colour

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On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales wins Senate confirmation as the nation’s first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on torture.

The Senate approved his nomination on a largely party-line vote of 60-36, reflecting a split between Republicans and Democrats over whether the administration’s counterterrorism policies had led to the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere. Shortly after the Senate vote, Vice President Dick Cheney swore in Gonzales as attorney general in a small ceremony in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. President Bush, who was traveling, called to congratulate him.

Gonzales was born in 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, the son of migrant workers and grew up in a small, crowded home in Houston without hot water or a telephone. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1973 after graduating high school. Following a few years of service, Gonzales attended the U.S. Air Force Academy.

READ MORE: Hispanic History Milestones: A Timeline

Citation Information

Article Title

Alberto Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gonzales-becomes-first-hispanic-u-s-attorney-general

Access Date

February 2, 2023

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 2, 2021

Original Published Date

November 24, 2009

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn’t look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

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Thomas Peterson-Mundy of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, became the 1st African American to vote. His vote was under the authority of the 15th Amendment, a day after it was adopted.

Peterson was born in Metuchen, New Jersey. His father, also named Thomas, worked for the Mundy family. It is unclear if he was a slave of the family or not. His mother, Lucy Green, was a slave of Hugh Newell (1744-1816) of Freehold Township, New Jersey. She was manumitted at age 21 by Newell’s will.

He was a school custodian and general handyman 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 1st “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 230 to 63. Peterson was afterward appointed to be a member of the committee of seven that made the revisions. Historical records as to his contribution to revisions in the form of minutes, writing, or other records are still wanting.

Read more about his life & legacy at  DailyBlackHistoryFacts

Resource: blackthen.com