The Spirit of America Foundation was established to encourage and promote volunteerism, and the foundation presents awards to honor local individuals, organizations or projects in appreciation of community service. She was born on November 20 or 21, 1849, on the Hancock County plantation of her father, the famous white agricultural reformer, David Dickson (1809-85). Hi my name is Ashlee Dickson and I am a descendent of Amanda America Dickson. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Shortly thereafter Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. Amanda America Dickson (November 20, 1849 June 11, 1893) was an African-American 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. . Born in 1849, Amanda was the daughter of David Dickson, a plantation owner who had raped Amanda's mother when she was 12. Sho was Mrs, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson. After her father's death in 1885, Amanda Dickson inherited his estate. The disgruntled relatives then appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court decision in 1887. In 1873, Mr. Dickson deeded 1,560 acres of land worth $10,000 to Amanda. Her second husband was Nathan Toomer from Perry, Georgia, and she legally was known as Amanda America Dickson Toomer. I read Dr. Kent Anderson Leslie's biography of Amanda Dickson Toomer several years. Dickson inherited his estate in Hancock County upon his death in 1885. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Explore genealogy for Charles Eubanks born 1835 Hancock County, Georgia including ancestors + descendants + more in the free family tree community. Amanda America Dickson, conceived as a result of her forty-year-old white father's rape of her thirteen-year-old enslaved mother, became the pet of her white grandmother and her father. Although conceived through the rape of her adolescent mother, Amanda was raised and educated in the Dickson household. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893, Amanda (Walters) Marks (abt.1849-aft.1894), Cedar Grove Cemetery, Houston County, Georgia, US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles. Do you find this information helpful? 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). The will was upheld in Probate Court. [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. 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. Come celebrate the 2022 results. ." who was raised and educated in David's household. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 10 March 2003, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/. Augusta, GaFriday, May 21, 2021, Formerly enslaved Amanda America Dickson Toomer (1849-1893), who later became perhaps Georgia's wealthiest African American woman in the 19th Century, received a Georgia Historical Marker in her honor. Dickson became a member of the elite black community in Augusta, Georgia. In the 1870s he built a handsome house for Amanda and her mother Julia and gave her some property. Failed to report flower. Have you taken a DNA test? She . This time the family argued fornication was banned and interracial relationships were a felony, so . Add to your scrapbook. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. [3], A House Divided (2000) is the television movie that depicts the life of Amanda America Dickson. Amanda America Dickson House. Family members linked to this person will appear here. In 1890, Smith returned to the United States, and after two years of preaching and related work in the East, she settled in . In 1793 or 1794 Suzanne married Jean-Baptiste Peltier. She learned to dress in a modest, elegant fashion and how to present herself as a "lady". CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. . who was raised and educated in Davids household. Four years later, her son Charles was born. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. "[1]:123 Amanda America Dickson Toomer died on June 11, 1893, with "complications of diseases" being the cause of death listed on her death certificate. He was the child of an enslaved black woman, Kit, and a wealthy white Toomer man who had settled in Houston County, Georgia in the 1850s. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. . On July 14, 1892, Amanda married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Georgia. Charles Dickson escaped without any legal ramifications for his actions. Born Amanda America on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia, Mrs. A. The front porch is getting new crown molding and new columns. David Dickson died unexpectedly in 1885, 12 years after the death of his wife, Clara. [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. Amanda America Dickson Toomer fought the judicial system in the South and won at a time when the rights of women and in particular, women of color, were few. His work to protect his daughter proved prescient because in February 1885, he died suddenly, leaving Amanda devasted. . A. Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest African-American woman in Georgia and possibly the United States. 95822. The storm almost wiped the town off of the map and only a handful of buildings survived. Ann Short Chirhart and Betty Wood (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2009). It has been listed on Rocket Homes since February 27, 2023 and is currently priced at $289,900. Venus Morris Griffin, one of the top real estate agents in the Augusta area, stops by our front porch to talk about her success and her upcoming book. The funeral was held at Trinity Colored Methodist Church. 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 America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of a slave and her owner, 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. By the time the courts settled the Dickson will case, she had firmly ensconced herself in this new home and decorated it with Brussels carpets, oil paintings, a walnut dining room table and chairs, and books. She died at 5 p.m. June 11, 1893. Her birth was the result of the rape of her slave mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, when Julia was twelve years old. . and to behave like a lady , according to biographer Kent Leslie. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . His will left his estate to her "sound judgment and unlimited discretion" and prohibited interference from anyone, including any husband that she may have. Her father, David Dickson, was a white planter and slave plantation owner who owned her mother; he was one of the eight wealthiest plantation owners in the county. She was. The bulk of his estate, 17,000 acres, valued at $500,000, went to Amanda -- making her the largest property owner in Hancock County. It was practically a statewide scandal when it was discovered that Dickson willed the bulk of his $300,000 estate- $8 million in todays dollars- to his only child, Amanda. Dickson was known for agriculture innovation in Hancock County, Georgia. Her father left his wealth to her.. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Amanda was legally held as Elizabeth's slave until her death. 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. She was only 43 years old. Amanda America Dickson Toomer was born in Hancock County in 1849, to wealthy planter David Dickson and Julia, who was enslaved by Dickson's mother Elizabeth. Jean-Baptiste and Catherine had two children, Jean-Baptiste Jr. and Suzanne. A. Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest African-American woman in Georgia and possibly the United States. This account has been disabled. Therefore, Elizabeth and David Dickson had no means to manumit Amanda and keep her with them in Georgia until the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, was ratified on December 6, 1865. By the time the courts settled the Dickson will case, she had firmly ensconced herself in this new home and decorated it with Brussels carpets, oil paintings, a walnut dining room table and chairs, and books. The trial was held in the courthouse, where the will was decided in Amanda's favor. Amanda, then15, had a relationship with her 29-year old white cousin Charles Eubanks and had two sons, Julian and Leslie, near Rome, Georgia. He lent the county $30,000 to build the original courthouse in the late 1800s, but he's also known for something else. Buy Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-93: Read Books Reviews - Amazon.com . She learned to play piano; to dress with subdued elegance . I am very apprieciative to the people who have read the book and reviewed the website. Amanda was still a teen-ager when she married her father's nephew, Charles Eubanks. She was born November 20, 1849, on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia (Hancock County) to a famous 40-year-old plantation owner David Dickson and a 12-year-old enslaved girl, Julia . Failed to delete memorial. A few days later he became ill with pneumonia and died. 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. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. In the winter of 1885 David Dickson died, leaving the bulk of his estate to Amanda Dickson and subsequently to her children after her death. 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. [2] After Amanda was weaned, she was taken from her enslaved mother and maternal grandmother, Rose, to be raised in the household of her white paternal grandmother and mistress, Elizabeth Sholars Dickson. She was the richest woman in the south, at that, a black woman during the civil war era. Before the supreme court decision, Dickson purchased a large house at 452 Telfair Street, in the wealthiest section of the then-integrated city of Augusta. If so, login to add it. 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 racial strictures for the sake of family. D > Dickson | T > Toomer > Amanda America (Dickson) Toomer, Categories: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Houston County, Georgia | Hancock County, Georgia, Slaves | US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles | African-American Notables | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. This led me to the Toomer family web site to view what we call OUR slave deed . On December 26, 1894, they became parents to Jean Toomer. Amanda died just one year later after becoming ill during a trip to Baltimore with her husband. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? During the contest of the will, Amanda purchased a beautiful three-story brick house in the elite downtown neighborhood of Augusta, Georgia, which was at the time an integrated city. Photojournalism: Amanda America Dickson Toomer [1]:108, She arrived in Augusta in 1886 and purchased a large, seven-bedroom house at 452 Telfair Street, which was in a multiracial neighborhood. "Amanda America Dickson." Amanda married first to her father's nephew, Charles Eubanks, in 1866-67 and they lived on a plantation in Rome, Georgia. [1]:118 Amanda died on June 11, 1893, eleven months after they were married. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of a slave and her white owner, became one of the wealthiest black women in nineteenth-century America. Charlotte continued to prosper until a fateful night in 1830. He never woke up. Shutters are being built for the house's front. 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 racial strictures for the sake of family. The film stars Sam Waterston (Dickson), Jennifer Beals (Amanda) and Lisa Gay Hamilton (Julia). Amanda America Dickson's birthplace, Hancock County, Georgia, is in the fertile so-called black belt of the state, 125 miles south and east of Atlanta, between the pre-Civil War capital of Milledgeville and the river-port city of Augusta (Map 1). While Dickson left bequests to his nieces and nephews, most of his wealth went to his daughter with the caveat that she bequeath $100,000 to each of her sons, whom he had called his little men. How Amanda used this legacy was left to her sound judgement and unlimited discretion . BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. The marker was placed at Toomer's last Augusta residence448 Telfair Street. In her childhood, she was taken into the Dickson family and tutored by her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson. In 1892, she married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Georgia. Amanda and her grandmother Elizabeth had shared a particularly close relationship, with Amanda spending much time in her grandmother's room. She was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. This browser does not support getting your location. GREAT NEWS! 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. 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. Just one grandparent can lead you to many Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 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. shows how strong-willed individuals defied racial strictures for the sake of family. 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. Born 1835 in Hancock County, Georgia. Monday/Tuesday - closed. Leslie, Kent. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. In. The higher court stated that the rights of each race are controlled and governed by the same enactments or principles of lawin other words, whatever rights and privileges belonged to a bastard white child belonged to a mixed-race child as well. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. 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