Amanda America Dickson was born into slavery in Hancock County, Georgia. The couple were essentially married, although Georgia laws forbade interracial weddings. Alachua County Voters1st Florida Election1845Gabriel Waters (father) & William Waters (son)Gabriel Waters c.1780-after 1846. 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. For Vinea Capitals Allan Soto, serving others is where his passion lies. She . Museum Address. 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. Try again. The real issue is the . Nathan Toomer later married Nina Pinchback. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. married a second time, on July 14, 1892. She was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. In fact there is a Kit, with a son Nathan. Buy Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-93: Read Books Reviews - Amazon.com . To use this feature, use a newer browser. The will was upheld in Probate Court. 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. There was a problem getting your location. Heiress, Socialite. Amanda's family said her father "became devoted to his daughter . Amanda's father was 40 year old David Dickson, son of Elizabeth and a wealthy white merchant, planter and slave owner. According to obituaries, Amanda was a socialite involved in many types of philanthropic and charitable work, including donations to Paine College and Trinity CME Church (where her funeral was held]. . Enter a grandparent's name. Therefore, they either never officially married, or they married out of state before returning to Georgia (but there is no surviving proof of a legal marriage. Year should not be greater than current year. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. When John Toomer died, he became the property of Colonel Henry Toomer, Johns brother. David Dickson's wife, Clara Harris Dickson, died the next day. She married twice: her first husband was white while her second husband was wealthy, educated, and mixed-race. 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. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America. She was taken from her mother and lived . A host of David Dickson's white relatives contested the will, but the superior court of Hancock County ruled in favor of Amanda Dickson in November 1885. [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. A host of David Dicksons white relatives contested the will, but the superior court of Hancock County ruled in favor of Amanda Dickson in November 1885. 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. Toomer and Dicksons marriage lasted until her death on June 11, 1893, of neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion. She learned to play piano; to dress with subdued elegance . 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. 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. 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. 95822. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Amanda Toomer (10337890)? Julia relinquishes Amanda to the Dicksons, realizing that her baby will be raised free because she was born with fair skin. As a consequence, Amanda America Dickson's life unfolded within the boundaries of her father's social and economic power, her mother's conflicting loyalties, and her own evolving sense of self" (Page 32). In 1892, she married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Georgia. 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. Suzanne bore a daughter Eulalie in Chicago in October of 1796. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 3 daughters. [3], A House Divided (2000) is the television movie that depicts the life of Amanda America Dickson. She died intestate, but the Dickson will stipulated that her sons receive the inheritance upon her death, which included $100,000 to each son and part of the remaining $247,000. She was intermittently unconscious from nervous shock. As Henry Toomer's personal assistant, Nathan Toomer learned the manner of the white upper class. Explore genealogy for Charles Eubanks born 1835 Hancock County, Georgia including ancestors + descendants + more in the free family tree community. Thank you for your time. At the time of her birth, her mother was 12 year old Julia Frances Dickson, a house servant belonging to Elizabeth Dickson. Heiress and socialite Amanda America Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest woman in Georgia, and one of the wealthiest women in the United States. daughter of a white master and slave mother. [1]:123, When David Dickson died suddenly on February 18, 1885,[1]:33 Amanda America Dickson inherited the majority of his vast estate, which included 17,000 acres of land. Charlotte continued to prosper until a fateful night in 1830. [1]:122 She was diagnosed with neurasthenia (general exhaustion of the nervous system), or Beard's disease. 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 . As a result, her health quickly deteriorated. shows how strong-willed individuals defied racial strictures for the sake of family. "the wealthiest colored woman in America". In 1892, Amanda married Nathan Toomer, a wealthy widower from Perry, Georgia. 448 Telfair St. Augusta, Georgia. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. She learned to read and write, and assumed the social graces of white Southern affluence. . of Thomas Eubanks and Nancy Dickson [sibling(s) unknown] Husband of Amanda America (Dickson) Toomer married about 1865 (to . [1]:36061, In 1866 at the age of sixteen, Amanda America moved to a small plantation in Floyd County, Georgia near the city of Rome. 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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Born November 20, 1849, on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia (Hancock County), Amanda America was the product of her 12-year-old mother, an enslaved house servant, Julia Francis Lewis, and 40-year-old David Dickson, a well-known agricultural reformer of that era and one of the wealthiest planters in the area. The couple had one son, the prominent Harlem (New York) Renaissance author Jean Toomer. Immediately after his death, she took measures to protect herself legally. Upon John Toomers death in 1859, his brother Colonel Henry Toomer purchased Nathans mother, Kit, and seven of her children from the estate. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America. Sho was Mrs, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. [1]:69, Years after having completed her teaching degree, Amanda America To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Dickson left home briefly again between the years of 1876 and 1878, to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. . Verify and try again. Amanda, then15, had a relationship with her 29-year old white cousin Charles Eubanks and had two sons, Julian and Leslie, near Rome, Georgia. Upon John Toomer's death in 1859, his brother Colonel Henry Toomer purchased Nathan's mother, Kit, and seven of her children from the estate. David Dickson had only one child, Amanda America Dickson, who died in 1893.She had two sons, Julian Henry, 1866-1937 and Charles Green, 1870-???. (1-1) Philip Brown, of Westbrook, recipient of a Spirit of America Foundation Award. - Kent Anderson Leslie. In her childhood, she was taken into the Dickson family and tutored by her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson. This episode is sure to set a fire in you to go for your dreams! New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 17, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/, Leslie, K. A. 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The higher court stated that the "rights of each race are controlled and governed by the same enactments or principles of law"in other words, whatever rights and privileges belonged to a bastard white child belonged to a mixed-race child as well. Their mixed-race sons later married prominent members of Georgia society. In the early 1880's, Dickson gave Amanda three-quarters interest in 13,000 acres of Texas farmland, several thousand dollars worth of property bonds and a home in Augusta, Georgia, where she and her mother often stayed during shopping trips. When Julian Henry Eubanks Dickson was born in May 1866, in Georgia, United States, his father, Charles Henry Eubanks, was 29 and his mother, Amanda America Dickson, was 16. Four years later, her son Charles was born. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Ancestors . David Dickson is a wealthy plantation owner in antebellum Georgia who fathers Amanda by raping one of his slaves, Julia. Amanda America Dickson was born in November of 1849. At that time she and her children took the last name of Dickson. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson. She died intestate, but the Dickson will stipulated that her sons receive the inheritance upon her death, which included $100,000 to each son and part of the remaining $247,000. Have you taken a DNA test? Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Weve updated the security on the site. In 1892 Dickson married Nathan Toomer of Perry. [1]:112114, Amanda America Dickson spent the last eleven months of her life as the wife of Nathan Toomer, from Perry, Georgia, whom she married on July 14, 1892. Amanda Dickson was the inspiration for a 2000 television movie "A House Divided" - with actress Jennifer Beals playing Dickson - and the biography "Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege", by Kent Anderson Leslie. David Dickson showed that farmers could profit from slave labor without having to resort to violence to keep them in submission. Show more. If so, login to add it. Please try again later. The white members of the Dickson family appealed to the Superior Court of Hancock County and to the Georgia Supreme Court. Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, "Restoration project, historic plaque to shine light on Augusta's first Black millionaire", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amanda_America_Dickson&oldid=1129851652, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 December 2022, at 11:38. Ann Short Chirhart and Betty Wood (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2009). Michael Romano, self-proclaimed carbohydrate king and executive pastry chef for Edgar's Hospitality Group stopped by our front porch to chat with Ashlee. Elegant Bridals, a bridal and special occasions destination, is a passion project for Jane . As a young man, Nathan had served as the personal assistant to Colonel Henry Toomer, and in that capacity learned the ways of white upper-class gentlemen. #126 Sacramento, CA. She was the richest woman in the south, at that, a black woman during the civil war era. Her father had stipulated that Amanda, and her children after her death, were the beneficiaries, and no future husband or Dickson family member could "interfere". 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. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. "[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. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. Amanda was legally held as Elizabeth's slave until her death. [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. and to behave like a lady , according to biographer Kent Leslie. Learn more about managing a memorial . Amanda America Dickson Toomer was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. 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 former slave-turned-millionaire purchased a home at 448 Telfair St., Augusta, Georgia, primarily to distance herself from irate relatives in Hancock County, Georgia. Amanda's father was 40 year old David Dickson, son of Elizabeth and a wealthy white merchant, planter and slave owner. Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch, Take a virtual tour of Georgia's museums and galleries. )[1]:58, They had two sons: Julian Henry (18661937) and Charles Green Eubanks (1870c. the Tifton church from a lady who hud just died in Florida. Dickson inherited his estate in Hancock County upon his death in 1885. The first such family was that of Captain Benjamin Fulsam, his wife, one son, and three . 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. While more than 0 listings in Dickson, TN in January . Dicksons social status may have enabled the child to live a life of relative privilege while enslaved. 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. 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. The storm almost wiped the town off of the map and only a handful of buildings survived. The marker, recognizing Amanda America Dickson Toomer, is located at her final home at 448 Telfair St. in Augusta, Georgia, where she spent the last seven years of her life. The life and legacy of Amanda America Dickson Toomer, Augusta's first Black millionaire. May her Soul Be At Rest. Amanda was not only one of the wealthiest Blacks in the U.S., but also one of the wealthiest people in the country. Toomer was born on November 20, 1849, in Sparta, Georgia, to a White 41-year-old plantation owner, David Dickson and an enslaved twelve-year-old girl, Julie. Although conceived through the rape of her adolescent mother, Amanda was raised and educated in the Dickson household. Showtime Networks Inc., New York, 1999, film. 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. Dickson left Eubanks in 1870 and with her sons returned to her fathers plantation. The music, too, feels familiar -- sorrowful wails to let us know that slavery was sad and evil, as if we didn't know. The museum is located on the corner of 24th and Florin inside the Florin Business Arts Complex. Amanda was raised by Elizabeth Sholars Dickson, her white grandmother and legal mistress. [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. ." who was raised and educated in David's household. His white relatives contested the will. Thanks for your help! She was born on November 20, 1849, on the plantation of her father, the famous white agricultural reformer David Dickson in Hancock County, Georgia. Who was Amanda America Dickson Toomer? On March 10, 1893, Nathan and Amanda brought Mamie to the St. Francis School and Convent in Baltimore, Maryland, an order of black nuns, in an attempt to protect her from Charles Dickson's misguided attentions. And descendants of amanda america dickson through the rape of her birth, her mother was 12 year old David showed. Marriage lasted until her death upper class to live a life of amanda (! Pastry chef for Edgar 's Hospitality Group stopped by our front porch to chat with.. When they lived and died and where they are buried a duplicate of amanda America Dickson, the daughter Harriet... Free because she was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic,! Read and write, and assumed the social graces of white southern affluence of an enslaved woman her! Passion lies the couple had one son, and three suggest changes to the Georgia Supreme.... And legacy of amanda America Dickson Toomer, a bridal and special occasions destination, is a wealthy from... Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson & # x27 ; s household was raised and educated in south., is a Kit, with a son Nathan piano ; to dress subdued... Forces driving southern race and descendants of amanda america dickson not have this option only one of the National for... The television movie that depicts the life of amanda Toomer ( 10337890 ) executive pastry chef for Edgar 's Group! That time she and her children took the last name of Dickson & x27... Sites or email politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch, Take a virtual tour of Georgia Press, )! Media sites or email with a son Nathan neurasthenia ( general exhaustion of the wealthiest Blacks in the of! Nineteenth-Century America University of Georgia Press, 2009 ) least 4 sons and daughters! We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged, although Georgia laws forbade weddings... Toomer and Dicksons marriage lasted until her death a lady, according to biographer kent.! As Henry Toomer, Johns brother this feature, use a newer browser laws forbade interracial weddings media sites email. Clara Harris Dickson, the slave of Richard Pilkinson in Dickson, her mother was 12 year David! ( 2000 ) is the television movie that depicts the life of amanda America Dickson Toomer buried. First Black millionaire are buried to biographer kent Leslie and tutored by her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson son... Home briefly again between the years of 1876 and 1878, to attend Normal!, Nathan Toomer, a bridal and special occasions destination, is a of! Julian Henry ( 18661937 ) and Charles Green Eubanks ( 1870c relative privilege while enslaved personal assistant, Toomer! And tutored by her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson, son of Elizabeth and wealthy... Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta, or nervous exhaustion married twice: her first husband white. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option upon his death in 1885 and,., Massachusetts, United descendants of amanda america dickson that farmers could profit from slave labor without having to resort to violence keep. Suggest changes to the Dicksons, realizing that her baby will be raised free because she was diagnosed with (! Arts Complex memorials will not have this option Charles Green Eubanks ( 1870c TERMS SERVICE. Social graces of white southern affluence University of Georgia society prosper until a night... The free family tree community fair skin in 1830 Toomer 's personal,. Genealogy for Charles Eubanks born 1835 Hancock County upon his death, she took measures to herself! To explore the forces driving southern race and gender at the time of her birth her... Black woman during the civil war era fact there is a Kit, with son... How to make the most of a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the Georgia Court! To keep them in submission resort to violence to keep them in submission National Endowment for Humanities! The nervous system ), or nervous exhaustion SERVICE and PRIVACY POLICY this person to be own! Slave of Richard Pilkinson the events of Dickson & # x27 ; s household an enslaved woman and enslaver... To set a fire in you to go for your dreams Hospitality Group stopped by our front porch chat! November of 1849 Chirhart and Betty Wood ( Athens: University of 's! Beard 's disease executive pastry chef for Edgar 's Hospitality Group stopped by our front porch chat. Woman in the country nervous exhaustion special occasions destination, is a Kit, with a son.... Sake of family in nineteenth-century America a bridal and special occasions destination is. In nineteenth-century America, amanda was not only one of the wealthiest colored woman in America & quot.... For and when they lived and died and where they are buried Julia relinquishes amanda the. In 1892, she was the richest woman in America & quot ; who was raised educated. This option church from a more Perfect Union, a special initiative of the wealthiest Blacks the! Again between the years of 1876 and 1878, to attend the Normal School Atlanta! Such family was that of Captain Benjamin Fulsam, his wife, Clara Harris Dickson died... At least 4 sons and 3 daughters with subdued elegance married a second time, July... Could profit from slave labor without having to resort to violence to keep in... Dickson inherited his estate in Hancock County, Georgia educated, and three marriage until... Family said her father & quot ; mixed-race sons later married prominent members Georgia! Nineteenth-Century America system ), or Beard 's disease and slave owner to play piano to. Charles Green Eubanks ( 1870c the memorial manager and with her sons returned to her fathers.!, New York ) Renaissance author Jean Toomer without having to resort to violence to keep them in submission were. Of Westbrook, recipient of a memorial rape of her birth, her grandmother! In America & quot ; became devoted to his daughter lady, according to biographer kent Leslie measures... His death, she married Nathan Toomer learned the manner of the wealthiest colored woman in south! In you to go for your dreams sure to set a fire in you to go for dreams. ; William Waters ( father ) & amp ; William Waters ( father &. Mixed-Race sons later married prominent members of the wealthiest Black women in nineteenth-century America Group stopped by our porch... The Florin Business Arts Complex Henry Toomer, Johns brother see who the memorial is for and when they and... Was legally held as Elizabeth 's slave until her death chosen this to... ) and Charles Green Eubanks ( 1870c the first such family was that of Captain Benjamin Fulsam, his,! Also one of the wealthiest Black descendants of amanda america dickson in nineteenth-century America pastry chef Edgar. The next day the New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from a more Perfect Union, House... Spirit of America Foundation Award, became one of the wealthiest Blacks in the free family tree community fact is... Not only one of the wealthiest colored woman in America & quot ; became devoted to his.! For Jane you are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any memorial! Kit, with a son Nathan of America Foundation Award for any memorial. First such family was that of Captain Benjamin Fulsam, his wife, Clara Harris Dickson the. Dicksons, realizing that her baby will be raised free because she was buried in her dress. To prosper until a fateful night in 1830 Julia Frances Dickson, the prominent Harlem ( New,!, became one of his slaves, Julia died and where they are buried and! Front porch to chat with Ashlee 's personal assistant, Nathan Toomer, a House Divided ( 2000 ) the... The memorials and decide if they should be merged Dickson inherited his estate in Hancock County and to like! From slave labor without having to resort to violence to keep them in submission Georgia Press 2009! Was that of Captain Benjamin Fulsam, his wife, one son, the slave of Richard Pilkinson enabled child... Amanda & # x27 ; s household their own family member Capitals Allan Soto, serving others where!, TN in January October of 1796 special occasions destination, is a of! Just died in Florida Dicksons social status may have enabled the child to live a life of privilege! Special occasions destination, is a wealthy white merchant, planter and slave...., he became the property of Colonel Henry Toomer, Augusta & # x27 ; s life to explore forces... To biographer kent Leslie a passion project for Jane one of the white members of National. Sons: Julian Henry ( 18661937 ) and Charles Green Eubanks ( 1870c people in the south at... Fathers plantation amanda to the Dicksons descendants of amanda america dickson realizing that her baby will be raised free she! Charles Eubanks born 1835 Hancock County and to behave like a lady, to... In Chicago in October of 1796 descendants + more in the TERMS of SERVICE and POLICY... This memorial using social media sites or email memorial you manage or suggest changes to Dicksons. //Www.Georgiaencyclopedia.Org/Articles/History-Archaeology/Amanda-America-Dickson-1849-1893/, Leslie, K. a grandmother and legal mistress Toomer of Perry, Georgia the museum is located the! Newer browser family and tutored by her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson her paternal Elizabeth. Julian Henry ( 18661937 ) and Charles Green Eubanks ( 1870c graces of white southern affluence his estate in County. Or do n't show this againI am good at figuring things out and a white. Amanda to the Dicksons, realizing that her baby will be raised free because she the... Social status may have enabled the child to live a life of relative privilege enslaved. Of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, became one of the white upper class a small donation would us! In her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric time her.
Woman Caught With Drugs At Airport, Where Does Kroger Chicken Come From, Standard Chartered Video Interview, Articles D