We have set your language to Dickson was born in 1849 to prominent Hancock County plantation owner David Dickson and a 12-year-old slave. By studying her life, one is able to gather information about the "The Way It Was" in the South during the 19th . "Amanda America Dickson." The family has become part of the educated, professional black elite in the United States. Amanda America Dickson spent her childhood and adolescence in the house of her white grandmother and owner, Elizabeth Sholars Dickson, where she learned to read and write and play the pianothe survival skills of a young lady but not ordinarily the opportunities of a slave. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . In her childhood, she was taken into the Dickson family and tutored by her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson. Dickson, 1849-1893 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1996); In 1865, according to family history, Amanda married her white cousin Charles Eubanks in the North. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. This is a carousel with slides. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. May her Soul Be At Rest. Amanda Dickson Toomer died at her home at 448 Telfair Street on June 11, 1893. Amanda Dickson Toomer Wife of Nathan ToomerA True Christian. Born Amanda America on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia, Mrs. A. The union produced two sons: Julian Henry (1866-1937), who married Eva Walton, the daughter of Isabella and George Walton of Augusta; and Charles Green (1870-ca. On his death he scandalized Hancock county society by bequeathing the vast bulk of his estate (a share with a value estimated at more than $300,000) to his only child, Amanda America Dickson (1849-1893). Citing the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, saying that the rights and privileges of a black woman and her children would be the same rights and privileges of a white concubine or an illegitimate white woman and her children. Atlanta also has an "Amanda America Dickson" day they celebrate. [1]:123 Amanda America died without a will, which resulted in a legal battle after her death for control of her estate. It was an unhappy marriage, and in 1870, Amanda left her husband, and returned to the Dickson Plantation, where she was legally given the surname of Dickson for herself and her sons. and to behave like a lady , according to biographer Kent Leslie. Kent Anderson Leslie's 1995 biography Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893, was written about her life, and from this book came the 2000 film, "A House Divided," starring Sam Waterston and Jennifer Beals as David and Amanda Dickson. Amanda America Dickson was born to 40-year-old slave master David Dickson and 13-year-old slave, Julia Lewis in 1849. She was quickly tended to by Dr. Eugene Foster, in place of their family physician, Thomas D. Coleman, who was out of town. All Rights Reserved. . who was raised and educated in Davids household. According to the Dickson family oral history, David Dickson doted on Amanda, and Julia quite openly became his concubine and housekeeper. She was intermittently unconscious from nervous shock. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America. When her father died on February 18, 1885, Amanda became the center of a famous lawsuit. Jonathan Bryant, Race, Class, and Law in Bourbon Georgia: The Case of David Dicksons Will, Georgia Historical Quarterly 71 (summer 1987): 226-42. The couple had one son, the prominent Harlem (New York) Renaissance author Jean Toomer. I am also proud of my heritage and what she has done for the people of America. It was an unhappy marriage and Amanda left Charles in 1870, returning to the Dickson Plantation, where she was legally given the surname of Dickson for herself and her sons. Shortly thereafter Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. Amanda America Dickson (November 20, 1849 - June 11, 1893) was a mulatto or mixed-race socialite in Georgia who became known as one of the wealthiest African-American women of the 19th century after inheriting a large estate from her white planter father. The son of this marriage was Jean Toomer, the author of the novel Cane (1923). Born on November 20, 1849, Amanda America Dickson was David's daughter, the product of his rape of thirteen-year-old Julia Francis Lewis, the enslaved property of his mother. The funeral was held at Trinity Colored Methodist Church, and she is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Richmond County, Georgia. #126 Sacramento, CA. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America when the Georgia Supreme Court upheld her claim to her father's contested will. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and enslaved by Richard Pilkinson. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. It stars Jennifer Beals as Dickson, Sam Waterston as David Dickson, LisaGay Hamilton as Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, and Shirley Douglas as Elizabeth Sholars Dickson.[6]. Amanda, then15, had a relationship with her 29-year old white cousin Charles Eubanks and had two sons, Julian and Leslie, near Rome, Georgia. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson. ." who was raised and educated in David's household. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. This account has been disabled. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America. Dickson's family members appealed the lower court decision and the case wound up in the Georgia Supreme Court. By the 1880s, he had deeded Amanda three-fourths interest in 13,000 acres of good land in Texas, as well as several thousand dollars of bonds. Immediately after his death, she took measures to protect herself legally. Heiress and socialite Amanda America Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest African American woman in Georgia, and one of the wealthiest women in the United States. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Retrieved Jul 17, 2020, from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. But the dreadful secret which has blighted her life threatens to deprive her of the birthright which her . Login to find your connection. While white Georgians were establishing segregation as the ruling social order in the public sphere, members of the Dickson family went about their private lives. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? "Amanda America Dickson." From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. By 1860, David Dickson, who earned a widespread reputation as an agricultural reformer, was the wealthiest planter in the county. Elegant Experiences. Born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, Toomer had been the slave of Richard Pilkinson of Chatham County, North Carolina but was later sold to John Toomer of Houston County, Georgia. Amanda America Dickson, the slave daughter of her owner, became one of the wealthiest black women in nineteenth-century America. Five of Dickson's descendants, from across the nation, are expected to attend the marker ceremony, Hock said. He never woke up. From 1876 to 1878 she left the plantation to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. [1]:119 Charles Dickson conspired with his brother-in-law Dunbar Walton, his sister-in-law Carrie Walton Wilson, and a hired man, Louis E. Frank, to kidnap Mamie Toomer. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Amanda Toomer (10337890)? Monday/Tuesday - closed. The front porch is getting new crown molding and new columns. Kent Anderson Leslie. Evidence suggests that David Dickson took charge of Amanda's education. Because of anti-miscegenation laws, they couldn't legally marry in Georgia. Amanda America Dickson. Features. New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 17, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/, Leslie, K. A. (2003). For newspaper articles concerning the Dickson estate and will, and Amanda Dickson, refer to The Atlanta Constitution June 12, 1893; June 14, 1887; June 19, 1887; November 15, 1885; July 5, 1885. Born on November 21, 1849, baby Amanda's parents couldn't be more dissimilar her father, the renowned white agricultural plantation owner, and writer, David Dickson; her mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, was an enslaved child-servant to Dickson's mother Elizabeth Sholars-Dickson. She left Eubanks four years later and returned home to her father's plantation, where she and her mother moved into a new home that had been built on the property. She bore two children from this marriage, Julian Henry and Charles Green. 16 mm, 101 min. Museum Address. The white members of the Dickson family appealed to the Superior Court of Hancock County and to the Georgia Supreme Court. . Her mother, a slave belonging to his mother, had been raped at age 12 or 13 by David Dickson. . [3][4] Charles Green Eubanks married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Lucius Holsey, a bishop in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church,[5] and his wife Harriet. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 3 daughters. The former slave-turned-millionaire purchased a home at 448 Telfair St., Augusta, Georgia, primarily to distance herself from irate relatives in Hancock County, Georgia. Add to your scrapbook. Four years later, her son Charles was born. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. In the process, she opened the way for other black women to preach in the A.M.E. church. the Tifton church from a lady who hud just died in Florida. Amanda America Dickson was born in November of 1849. Her independence allowed Amanda to further her education when she attended Atlanta University from 1876-78. She left home briefly, between the years 1876 and 1878, to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. This fascinating story of Amanda America Dickson, born the privileged daughter of a white planter and an unconsenting slave in antebellum Georgia, shows how strong-willed individuals defied. In his will David Dickson stated that the administration of his estate was to be left to the sound judgment and unlimited discretion of Amanda Dickson without interference from any quarter, including any husband she might have. "the wealthiest colored woman in America". July 30, 2000 12 AM PT TIMES STAFF WRITER Set in the late 1800s, the Showtime historical drama, "A House Divided," tells the story of Amanda America Dickson, a woman of mixed race who fights. . When her father David Dickson died in 1885, and his will was read, it was revealed that he left all of his property, over 15,000 acres of land in Hancock and Washington Counties as well as his personal possessions, and money, together estimated at slightly over $300,000, to his daughter Amanda Dickson and her two sons. This home is located at 1173 W Grab Creek Rd in Dickson, TN and zip code 37055. Try again later. Her mother was a household slave, assigned as David's housekeeper, and she was raped by him, producing Amanda. Amanda America Dickson was born into slavery in Hancock County, Georgia. We extend our congratulations and best wishes; In New Georgia Encyclopedia. For Vinea Capitals Allan Soto, serving others is where his passion lies. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . Amanda America was born to 40-year-old slave master David Dickson and 13-year-old slave, Julia Lewis in 1849.Legally, Amanda was still a slave until her grandmother's death in 1864.By the 1860s David Dickson was the richest planter in Hancock County, with 150 slaves, 350 cattle, 600 hogs, 200 sheep and 57 mules and horses.Amanda was still a teen-ager when she married her father's nephew . [1]:123, Amanda America Dickson Toomer's funeral took place at the Trinity Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in Augusta, Georgia. A. Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest African-American woman in Georgia and possibly the United States. That court ruled in 1887 that Amanda Dickson was legally entitled to the inheritance under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that property rights are equal for blacks and whites, including the offspring of black and white citizens. A few days later he became ill with pneumonia and died. As a child Toomer was purchased by John Toomer, who moved to Houston County, Georgia, in the 1850s. The son of this marriage was Jean Toomer, the author of the novel Cane (1923). After four years of being married to (or living as a married couple with) Charles Eubanks, Amanda left her husband and returned to her father's plantation in 1870, shortly after giving birth to her second son, Charles Green. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. White relatives did contest it, first at the probate level, then on appeal to the Superior Court, and to the Georgia Supreme Court, arguing that the future of the Anglo-Saxon race, the traditions of the past, and the hope for the future all lay in the balance. The Court decided, however, in favor of Amanda based on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, making her one of the wealthiest Black women in the nation. 20072023 Blackpast.org. She was held in high esteem by those who came to know her because of her wealth, elegance, and intelligence. My mother is a descendant of Amanda America Dickson. I am proud to be a Dickson.I am John R. Dickson's daughter's child. Her birth was the result of the rape of her slave mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, when Julia was twelve years old. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Amanda America Dickson Toomer was born of the rape of 12-year-old slave Julia Frances Lewis Dickson by planter David Dickson in 1849. Adella Hunt Logan, 1902 The Logan family are African Americans descended from Warren Logan and his wife Adella Hunt Logan. Amanda and Nathan were married about a year when Amanda America Dickson Toomer died on June 11, 1893, in Augusta from neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion, considered to be caused by an unbearably hot train ride home from a months stay in Baltimore, Maryland for her health. [2] In what became known as the David Dickson Will Case, seventy-nine white relatives of David Dickson disputed the will in court, mainly arguing that David Dickson was not of a sound mind when he wrote the will, that he was "unduly influenced" by Amanda America and Julia Dickson, and that Amanda America was not his child. in the state died at Augusta at an eaHy hour Sunday. [1]:41 Beginning in 1801, Georgia had prohibited slaveholders from independently freeing their slaves, requiring an act of legislature (seldom given), for each request. The union produced two sons: Julian Henry (1866-1937), who married Eva Walton, the daughter of Isabella and George Walton of Augusta; and Charles Green (1870-ca. [1]:117 Nathan Toomer was a wealthy, educated African-American man of her class. In 1892 Dickson married Nathan Toomer of Perry. [1]:58 Because of anti-miscegenation laws in Georgia at the time, Amanda America and Charles, as an interracial couple, could not legally marry in Georgia. Legally a slave owned by her white grandmother, the biracial child was reared in her father's household. Amanda America Dickson Toomer was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. Her father left his wealth to her.. 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