His will left his estate to her "sound judgment and unlimited discretion" and prohibited interference from anyone, including any husband that she may have. Born Amanda America on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia, Mrs. A. I am proud to be a Dickson.I am John R. Dickson's daughter's child. 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. Please reset your password. Amanda married first to her father's nephew, Charles Eubanks, in 1866-67 and they lived on a plantation in Rome, Georgia. As a child Toomer was purchased by John Toomer, who moved to Houston County, Georgia, in the 1850s. Julia relinquishes Amanda to the Dicksons, realizing that her baby will be raised free because she was born with fair skin. It would be a mistake, however . 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. Amanda America Dickson House. So, the same laws governed the rights and privileges of women of both races. In today's episode, we are looking into the life of Amanda America Dickson a slave who inherited her fathers fortune becoming one of the wealthiest African Americans in the country! When her father died on February 18, 1885, Amanda became the center of a famous lawsuit. This house still stands on 452 Telfair Street. 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. Sho was Mrs, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Try again. Amanda America Dickson. Amanda, then15, had a relationship with her 29-year old white cousin Charles Eubanks and had two sons, Julian and Leslie, near Rome, Georgia. 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. Show more. [1]:123 Amanda America died without a will, which resulted in a legal battle after her death for control of her estate. Amanda was treated as part of the Dickson family. She was intermittently unconscious from nervous shock. We extend our congratulations and best wishes; Failed to delete memorial. ." who was raised and educated in David's household. Born in 1849, Amanda was the daughter of David Dickson, a plantation owner who had raped Amanda's mother when she was 12. She was kind-hearted, generous, and charitable, and her benevolent work was indeed extensive. Her legacy is preserved in the historic marker on Telfair Street that tells this complicated story of race and family in 19th-century Georgia. [1]:119, By 1893, Amanda America's health had greatly improved, but a disturbing family ordeal would be the catalyst for the further deterioration of her health and eventual death. Legally a slave owned by her white grandmother, the biracial child was reared in her father's household. Their mixed-race sons later married prominent members of Georgia society. The issue was settled when Charles died in 1871. Although dozens of white relatives fought the case in court, Amanda prevailed under the 14th Amendment, with the Georgia Supreme Court noting "all distinction as to right's pertaining to citizenship between the two races are abolished, and as to their civil rights, they stand on the same footing.". [1]:64 Charles Eubanks died a few years later on July 31, 1873. The family has become part of the educated, professional black elite in the United States. Kent Anderson Leslie, Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1995). 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. [1]:47, Throughout Amanda's childhood, her father became wealthier and more famous, renowned for his innovative and successful farming techniques. Oops, we were unable to send the email. From 1876 to 1878 she left the plantation to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. A House Divided . David Dickson is a wealthy plantation owner in antebellum Georgia who fathers Amanda by raping one of his slaves, 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.. Born into slavery, she was the child of David Dickson, a white planter, and Julia Frances Lewis (Dickson), a young enslaved woman of his who . Amanda America Dickson, the slave daughter of her owner, became one of the wealthiest black women in nineteenth-century America. . from funds loaned by planter David Dickson. 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). Symptoms of neurasthenia, as described by nineteenth-century physicians, include "sick headache, noises in the ear, atonic voice, deficient mental control, bad dreams, insomnia, nervous dyspepsia (disturbed digestion), heaviness of the loin and limb, flushing and fidgetiness, palpitations, vague pains and flying neuralgia (pain along a nerve), spinal irritation, uterine irritability, impotence, hopelessness, claustrophobia, and dread of contamination. Amanda is 19 degrees from Jennifer Aniston, 22 degrees from Drew Barrymore, 21 degrees from Candice Bergen, 24 degrees from Alexandre Dumas, 15 degrees from Carrie Fisher, 32 degrees from Whitney Houston, 20 degrees from Hayley Mills, 15 degrees from Liza Minnelli, 19 degrees from Lisa Presley, 21 degrees from Kiefer Sutherland, 19 degrees from Bill Veeck and 25 degrees from Brian Nash on our single family tree. Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893 (Brown Thrasher Books) Paperback - October 1, 1996 by Kent Anderson Leslie (Author) 86 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $9.30 Read with Our Free App Hardcover $30.00 17 Used from $4.91 4 Collectible from $24.99 Paperback She bore two children from this marriage, Julian Henry and Charles Green. )[1]:58, They had two sons: Julian Henry (18661937) and Charles Green Eubanks (1870c. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. 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). [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. Get a one year print subscription (8 issues) for only $24! 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. 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. At the time, David Dickson was forty and the wealthiest planter in the county. Eubanks was a Confederate Veteran. . Failed to remove flower. [1]:44, In 1864, Amanda's grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson died. He never woke up. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . 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. 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. Executors appraised the estate, which included 17,000 acres of land in Hancock and Washington counties, at $309,000. 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. Shortly thereafter Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. On July 14, 1892, Amanda married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Georgia. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. This episode is sure to set a fire in you to go for your dreams! 16 mm, 101 min. 20072023 Blackpast.org. From a variety of sources, a great deal of information can be gathered on Mullato Amanda America Dickson, who exempted the traditional role of gender and racial inferiority in Antebellum and post-Civil War southern society. . 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. Amandas family said her father became devoted to his daughter . 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. Nathan Toomer later married Nina Pinchback. Her birth was the result of the rape of her enslaved mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, when Julia was twelve years old. without interference from any quarter. To discourage challenges to the will, anyone contesting it would lose their own bequest. 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. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . According to Dickson family tradition, David Dickson eventually doted on his only daughter. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. [1]:41 Beginning in 1801, Georgia had prohibited slaveholders from independently freeing their slaves, requiring an act of legislature (seldom given), for each request. [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. 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]:112114 White Georgians generally viewed black citizens within the racial caste system, without regard for wealth or class. She was the main heir to the estate of over 15,000 acres valued at $309,543. Add to your scrapbook. 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. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. 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]. and to behave like a lady , according to biographer Kent Leslie. 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. Evidence suggests that David Dickson took charge of Amanda's education. The front porch is getting new crown molding and new columns. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Clinging to his body, Amanda cried, "Now I am an orphan, though her mother was still alive. 95822. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. In 1892, Amanda married a wealthy biracial farmer from Perry, Ga., but they had limited time together; she died the next year despite receiving the best medical care available. Immediately after his death, she took measures to protect herself legally. Antebellum Hancock County, Georgia, was a place where black slaves outnumbered . [1]:123, Amanda America Dickson Toomer's funeral took place at the Trinity Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in Augusta, Georgia. 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 . 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. Hancock was a rich county and one of its wealthiest planters was David Dickson. [1]:118 Amanda died on June 11, 1893, eleven months after they were married. woman in the (Ti i ted .states has just died. Her father left his wealth to her.. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. One of the first laws the Georgia State legislature passed after the war reinstated the prohibition against interracial marriage. 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. Hi my name is Ashlee Dickson and I am a descendent of Amanda America Dickson. It is the first project from Atkinson Way Films, the production company created by Waterston and. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. 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. [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. In 1892 Dickson married Nathan Toomer of Perry. Come celebrate the 2022 results. You can always change this later in your Account settings. 2251 Florin Rd. Who was Amanda America Dickson Toomer? By 1860, David Dickson, who earned a widespread reputation as an agricultural reformer, was the wealthiest planter in the county. Wife of Charles Henry Eubanks and Nathan Toomer In the 1870s he built a handsome house for Amanda and her mother Julia and gave her some property. 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. Clinging to his body, Amanda cried, "Now I am an orphan,'' though her mother was still alive.The bulk of his estate, 17,000 acres, valued at $500,000, went to Amanda -- making her the largest property owner in Hancock County.On July 14, 1892, she married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Ga. Amanda got sick. 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. 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. Verify and try again. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. [1]:7980, On July 6, 1885, probate judge R. H. Lewis ruled in favor of the will. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Amanda Toomer (10337890)? 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. In 1892, she married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Georgia. The funeral was held at Trinity Colored Methodist Church, and she is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Richmond County, Georgia. He married Eva W. Walton on 10 December 1885, in Richmond, Georgia, United States. In 1865 or 1866 Dickson married her white first cousin, Charles Eubanks, a recently returned Civil War (1861-65) veteran. . His work to protect his daughter proved prescient because in February 1885, he died suddenly, leaving Amanda devasted. 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