20072023 Blackpast.org. [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 July 1886, Amanda purchased a home on Telfair Street in Augusta, furnishing it elegantly including the Dickson silver, oil paintings . 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, Charles Eubanks. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Failed to report flower. The first ovine . Photojournalism: Amanda America Dickson Toomer [1]:80 In November 1885, the trial in the Superior Court of Hancock County began, with the eventual ruling siding with Amanda America Dickson and her two sons. Dickson left home briefly again between the years of 1876 and 1878, to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. 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. She . 1., ed. Dickson was the daughter of wealthy Georgia plantation owner David Dickson (Sam Waterston), and his slave, Julia (Lisagay Hamilton). We had the pleasure of sitting down with Nesia Wright, owner and CEO of the Georgia Soul Basketball Team. 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Her education also included knowledge of finance and business important skills in her adult life. The funeral was held at Trinity Colored Methodist Church, and she is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Richmond County, Georgia. [1]:117 Her health was fragile throughout her second marriage, as she had several health problems which required the continual attention of her family physician, Thomas D. She learned to read and write, and assumed the social graces of white Southern affluence. [1]:101102 James Jackson expressed his firm conviction against upholding the will, saying, "I would rather died in my place than uphold the will." In fact there is a Kit, with a son Nathan. Leslie, Kent. Her mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, and her second husband, Nathan Toomer, both petitioned in court to be designated the temporary administrator of her estate. The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. One of the first laws the Georgia State legislature passed after the war reinstated the prohibition against interracial marriage.In 1873, Mr. Dickson deeded 1,560 acres of land worth $10,000 to Amanda.On Feb. 18, 1885, Mr. Dickson took his morning ride over the farm, came home, said he was cold and lay down for a nap. From 1876 to 1878 she left the plantation to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. 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 . 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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Ancestors . 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. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Maintained by: BeNotForgot She was held in high esteem by those who came to know her because of her wealth, elegance, and intelligence. Kent Anderson Leslie, Amanda America Dickson: A Wealthy Lady of Color in Nineteenth-Century Georgia, in Georgia Women: Their Lives and Times, vol. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Amanda Toomer (10337890)? [1]:42 Amanda also learned rules of social etiquette appropriate for the social standing of her father's side of the family. 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. Just one grandparent can lead you to many [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. The bride and groom wanted an intimate family wedding and the ability to spend quality time with those they love the most. Dicksons social status may have enabled the child to live a life of relative privilege while enslaved. 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. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. [1]:101102, The death of her father, David Dickson, on February 18, 1885, was a pivotal turning point in Amanda America's life. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 10 March 2003, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/. It has been listed on Rocket Homes since February 27, 2023 and is currently priced at $289,900. Their mixed-race sons later married prominent members of Georgia society. 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. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. 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. Amanda America Dickson Born 20 Nov 1849 in Hancock County, Georgia Ancestors Daughter of David Dickson and Julia F Dickson [sibling (s) unknown] Wife of Nathan Toomer married 1892 in Hancock, Georgia Descendants Mother of Julian Henry Dickson and Charles Green Dickson Died 11 Jun 1893 [location unknown] married a second time, on July 14, 1892. Dickson became a member of the elite black community in Augusta, Georgia. 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. Add to your scrapbook. Born in 1849, Amanda was the daughter of David Dickson, a plantation owner who had raped Amanda's mother when she was 12. Amanda is raised and educated by her father and grandmo Cast & Crew Read More John Kent Harrison Director In New Georgia Encyclopedia. . There was a problem getting your location. Buy Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-93: Read Books Reviews - Amazon.com . One obituary said: though in possession of such riches, she made no gaudy display but lived a quiet, easy, and unpretending life. A Biracial socialite, she was one of the wealthiest women of the 19th century. She left home briefly, between the years 1876 and 1878, to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. Her birth was the result of the rape of her slave mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, when Julia was twelve years old. Verify and try again. Antebellum Hancock County, Georgia, was a place where black slaves outnumbered . Amanda's father showered her with love and affection. and to behave like a lady , according to biographer Kent Leslie. GREAT NEWS! She died at 5 p.m. June 11, 1893. 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. Thank you for your time. 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. Appears in theFebruary/Marchissue of Augusta Magazine. [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. Five of Dickson's descendants, from across the nation, are expected to attend the marker ceremony, Hock said. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving . She was educated and schooled in the social skills of her father's class, and he helped her to enjoy a life of privilege away from the harsh realities of slavery before emancipation following the Civil War. Hancock was a rich county and one of its wealthiest planters was David Dickson. Toomer and Dickson's marriage lasted until her death on June 11, 1893, of neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion. Amanda America Dickson, the daughter of a slave and her white owner, became one of the wealthiest black women in nineteenth-century America. Dickson was known for agriculture innovation in Hancock County, Georgia. #126 Sacramento, CA. Dickson was born in 1849 to prominent Hancock County plantation owner David Dickson and a 12-year-old slave. Enter a grandparent's name. Understanding that the Anderson and Jeffers family is an interracial family they are challenged with many difficulties and . David Dickson's wife, Clara Harris Dickson, died the next day. In her childhood, she was taken into the Dickson family and tutored by her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson. [1]:81100, Judge Logan E. Bleckley filled his vacancy and refused to hear the case again. The doctors diagnosed her with neurasthenia, a disease characterized by profound physical and nervous exhaustion. Features: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. In 1892 Dickson married Nathan Toomer of Perry. Amanda America Dickson. 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. David Dickson died unexpectedly in 1885, 12 years after the death of his wife, Clara. The issue was settled when Charles died in 1871. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Family members linked to this person will appear here. His will left his estate to her "sound judgment and unlimited discretion" and prohibited interference from anyone, including any husband that she may have. She bore two children from this marriage, Julian Henry and Charles Green. Amanda America Dickson Toomer was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. Born with fair skin, Amanda (Jennifer Beals) has been raised and educated as if she were white by her devoted father and grandmother Elizabeth (Shirley Douglas). A. Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest African-American woman in Georgia and possibly the United States. Failed to remove flower. At the time, David Dickson was forty and the wealthiest planter in the county. [1]:36061. 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. Born on November 20, 1849, Amanda America Dickson was Davids daughter, the product of his rape of thirteen-year-old Julia Francis Lewis, the enslaved property of his mother. David Dickson was a rich white Georgian who attentively raised, educated, and supported Amanda America Dickson, the daughter he fathered by one of his many slaves. MORE: Augusta Historical Marker Part of Georgia Civil Rights Trail 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. 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. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. My mother is a descendant of Amanda America Dickson. This time the family argued fornication was banned and interracial relationships were a felony, so . The name David Dickson is intertwined in early Hancock County history. Born November 20, 1849. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. She learned to read and write, and assumed the social graces of white Southern affluence. At the time, David Dickson was forty and the wealthiest planter in the county. 12557 . While more than 0 listings in Dickson, TN in January . Kent Anderson Leslie. discoveries. Ann Short Chirhart and Betty Wood (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2009). 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. 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 . Elegant Bridals, a bridal and special occasions destination, is a passion project for Jane . She was only 43 years old. Because of anti-miscegenation laws, they couldn't legally marry in Georgia. 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. [1]:128, Nine months after Dickson's death, Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback, the daughter of P. B. S. Pinchback, the Reconstruction Era senator-elect from Louisiana. [3], A House Divided (2000) is the television movie that depicts the life of Amanda America Dickson. The Civil War, however, caused the loss of much of that wealth; for Amanda, the war brought legal freedom. The will was upheld in Probate Court. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. He became known as a Harlem Renaissance writer, noted for his modernist novel Cane (1923). Amanda America Dickson Toomer was born of the rape of 12-year-old slave Julia Frances Lewis Dickson by planter David Dickson in 1849. Sorry! If so, login to add it. Amanda and her grandmother Elizabeth had shared a particularly close relationship, with Amanda spending much time in her grandmother's room. Amanda America Dickson, the slave daughter of her owner, became one of the wealthiest black women in nineteenth-century America. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. In 1865, according to family history, Amanda married her white cousin Charles Eubanks in the North. I am so glad that a his torical marker has been placed at her home in Augusta.. In 1892, she married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Georgia. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Amanda America Dickson Toomer I found on Findagrave.com. Leave a message for others who see this profile. The Supreme Court ruled in 1887 that Amanda 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. 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. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Shortly thereafter Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. Come celebrate the 2022 results. Born Amanda America on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia, Mrs. A. His white relatives contested the will. from funds loaned by planter David Dickson. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . Charles Dickson escaped without any legal ramifications for his actions. He never woke up. [1]:127 Ultimately, Julia Dickson, Nathan Toomer, and Amanda America's younger son, Charles Dickson, settled the dispute over Amanda America's estate amicably out of court. . Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, . Degro woman in the United Staes has just died. As her father quickly began to rebuild using tenant farmers and establishing businesses including the Dickson Fertilizer Company in Augusta, Amanda also began to build her new life. 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. 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. She was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. 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. Dr. Kendall gave her anodyne, a pain-relieving medication. Learn more about merges. When her father died on February 18, 1885, Amanda became the center of a famous lawsuit. Amanda America Dickson. But the dreadful secret which has blighted her life threatens to deprive her of the birthright which her . As a result, her health quickly deteriorated. 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