Feb. 03 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1690, Massachusetts Colony issued the first paper money in America. Advertisement In 1783, Spain recognized the independence of the United States from Great Britain. In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It decreed that the right to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude. In 1913, the 16th Amendment, allowing establishment of an income tax , became part of the U.S.