Retrieved Jul 17, 2020, from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/. from funds loaned by planter David Dickson. Features. 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. 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. 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. Coleman. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? [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's life reflected the power of family and class to erode the boundaries of race in the nineteenth-century South. In 1865, according to family history, Amanda married her white cousin Charles Eubanks in the North. Explore genealogy for Charles Eubanks born 1835 Hancock County, Georgia including ancestors + descendants + more in the free family tree community. 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. 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.". The issue was settled when Charles died in 1871. (2003). She was intermittently unconscious from nervous shock. Your support helps us commission new entries and update existing content. . woman in the (Ti i ted .states has just died. Dickson inherited his estate in Hancock County upon his death in 1885. As a child Toomer was purchased by John Toomer, who moved to Houston County, Georgia, in the 1850s. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. Legally a slave owned by her white grandmother, the biracial child was reared in her father's household. Dickson left his estate to his mulatto daughter Amanda America Dickson. . Dickson was born in 1849 to prominent Hancock County plantation owner David Dickson and a 12-year-old slave. [1]:101102 On October 11, 1886, chief justice James Jackson, and associate justices Samuel Hall and Mark Blanford heard the case following the appeal. 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. Dickson left home briefly again between the years of 1876 and 1878, to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. Shutters are being built for the house's front. Suzanne bore a daughter Eulalie in Chicago in October of 1796. Thanks for your help! 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. Executors appraised the estate, which included 17,000 acres of land in Hancock and Washington counties, at $309,000. The doctors diagnosed her with neurasthenia, a disease characterized by profound physical and nervous exhaustion. Amanda also learned from her father how to conduct business transactions responsibly and how to maintain and protect her finances after marriage. When her father died on February 18, 1885, Amanda became the center of a famous lawsuit. In. The disgruntled relatives then appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court decision in 1887. The trial was held in the courthouse, where the will was decided in Amanda's favor. Heiress, Socialite. [1]:112114 White Georgians generally viewed black citizens within the racial caste system, without regard for wealth or class. On December 26, 1894, they became parents to Jean Toomer. I am very apprieciative to the people who have read the book and reviewed the website. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. We extend our congratulations and best wishes; Hi my name is Ashlee Dickson and I am a descendent of Amanda America Dickson. [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. 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). a Sort of Mystery: Jean Toomers Georgia Heritage, Georgia Historical Quarterly 77 (winter 1993): 789-809. 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". [3], A House Divided (2000) is the television movie that depicts the life of Amanda America Dickson. Son. 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. 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. Mother of Julian Henry Dickson and Charles "Charley" or Leslie Green Dickson, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10337890/amanda-america-toomer. There was an error deleting this problem. Verify and try again. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Born Amanda America on the Dickson Plantation, near Sparta, Georgia, Mrs. A. His will left his estate to her "sound judgment and unlimited discretion" and prohibited interference from anyone, including any husband that she may have. 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. Public domain image, Courtesy Georgia Historical Society, African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Racial Conflict - Segregation/Integration, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13428942, http://mygahistory.com/amanda-america-dickson/, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. 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. The white members of the Dickson family appealed to the Superior Court of Hancock County and to the Georgia Supreme Court. . The first ovine . 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. The problem with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Caribbean excursion wasn't the disastrous photo-ops which ranged from offensive to farcical, writes Kehinde Andrews. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. A few days later he became ill with pneumonia and died. The funeral was held at Trinity Colored Methodist Church. In 1866, 17-year-old Amanda married her white first cousin, Charles Eubanks, a recently returned Confederate Army veteran and together they had two children, Julian Henry and Charles Green. 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. He never woke up. According to Dickson family tradition, David Dickson eventually doted on his only daughter. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. She learned to dress in a modest, elegant fashion and how to present herself as a "lady". The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. 1900), who married Kate Holsey, the daughter of Harriet and Bishop Lucius Holsey of Augusta. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson. Leslie, Kent. 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! All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to Georgia Historical Society. The funeral was held at Trinity Colored Methodist Church, and she is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Richmond County, Georgia. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . Toomer was also of mixed race. The storm almost wiped the town off of the map and only a handful of buildings survived. 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. 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. Executors appraised the estate, which included 17,000 acres of land in Hancock and Washington counties, at $309,000. Please reset your password. She married twice: her first husband was white while her second husband was wealthy, educated, and mixed-race. [1]:117 But some were willing to accept children of wealthy planters, especially if mostly white. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Appears in theFebruary/Marchissue of Augusta Magazine. Charlotte continued to prosper until a fateful night in 1830. [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. From 1876 to 1878 she left the plantation to attend the Normal School of Atlanta University. Kent Anderson Leslie, Amanda America Dickson: A Wealthy Lady of Color in Nineteenth-Century Georgia, in Georgia Women: Their Lives and Times, vol. 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. Michael Romano, self-proclaimed carbohydrate king and executive pastry chef for Edgar's Hospitality Group stopped by our front porch to chat with Ashlee. Failed to report flower. 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