Amanda America Dickson was born to 40-year-old slave master David Dickson and 13-year-old slave, Julia Lewis in 1849. Warren Logan was born into slavery in Virginia shortly before the American Civil War. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. [1]:47. 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. Her father left his wealth to her.. She was born. 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. When he was 40 years old, David Dickson had raped 12-year-old Julia Dickson, and she became pregnant. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. ." who was raised and educated in David's household. Do you find this information helpful? Gabriel moved to Emanuel County, Georgia after his fathers death.David Lipscomb College, TN~ 1939 (Edna Waters)Harding College, Se Old scuppers and downspouts have been removed. Toomer was born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson. She moved to Augusta, Georgia before the town mandated residential segregation by race and purchased a large brick home at 484 Telfair Street, in the most prominent neighborhood in the city. My father ( who's grandmother was a slave of David Dickson) married my mother who is a descendant of Amanda Dickson. Her second husband was Nathan Toomer from Perry, Georgia, and she legally was known as Amanda America Dickson Toomer. 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. 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. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 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. 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. One obituary said: though in possession of such riches, she made no gaudy display but lived a quiet, easy, and unpretending life. Shortly thereafter Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. A. Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest African-American woman in Georgia and possibly the United States. Dickson left Eubanks in 1870 and with her sons returned to her fathers plantation. 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. Born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, Toomer had been the slave of Richard Pilkinson of Chatham County, North Carolina but was later sold to John Toomer of Houston County, Georgia. woman in the (Ti i ted .states has just died. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. He became known as a Harlem Renaissance writer, noted for his modernist novel Cane (1923). 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. Kent Anderson Leslie, Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1995). I read Dr. Kent Anderson Leslie's biography of Amanda Dickson Toomer several years. 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. Amanda and her grandmother Elizabeth had shared a particularly close relationship, with Amanda spending much time in her grandmother's room. David Dickson died unexpectedly in 1885, 12 years after the death of his wife, Clara. It is the first project from Atkinson Way Films, the production company created by Waterston and. a Sort of Mystery: Jean Toomers Georgia Heritage, Georgia Historical Quarterly 77 (winter 1993): 789-809. 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. Amanda remained married to Nathan Toomer until her death from Neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion, considered to be caused by an unbearably hot train ride home from a month's stay in Baltimore for her health. Amanda America Dickson Toomer was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. Ultimately, eight months later on June 13, 1887, Samuel Hall and Mark Blanford of the Georgia Supreme Court also ruled in favor of Amanda America and her two sons, formally settling the dispute of David Dickson's will. This house still stands on 452 Telfair Street. Paterson residents woke up to a surprise Monday: A group of six sheep from unknown origins were roaming the streets of New Jersey's third-largest city. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 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. Features. In July 1886, Amanda purchased a home on Telfair Street in Augusta, furnishing it elegantly including the Dickson silver, oil paintings . 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.". Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. White relatives did contest it, first at the probate level, then on appeal to the Superior Court, and to the Georgia Supreme Court, arguing that the future of the Anglo-Saxon race, the traditions of the past, and the hope for the future all lay in the balance. The Court decided, however, in favor of Amanda based on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, making her one of the wealthiest Black women in the nation. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Meanwhile, her father had begun to secure his daughters and grandsons futures. According to the Dickson family oral history, David Dickson doted on Amanda, and Julia quite openly became his concubine and housekeeper. As a result, her health quickly deteriorated. The next year, the couple had their first child, Julian, and Charles purchased land near Rome. 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. She died at 5 p.m. June 11, 1893. She was the richest woman in the south, at that, a black woman during the civil war era. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Both were born into slavery, but their lives turned out very different. The disgruntled relatives then appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court decision in 1887. Amanda Dickson Toomer died at her home at 448 Telfair Street on June 11, 1893. A few days later he became ill with pneumonia and died. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. The bulk of his estate, 17,000 acres, valued at $500,000, went to Amanda -- making her the largest property owner in Hancock County. She was held in high esteem by those who came to know her because of her wealth, elegance, and intelligence. Dickson's lawyer asks, for example, to instigate one memory trip. 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]. She was buried in her wedding dress, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric. 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]:120121, In June 1893, with the kidnapping drama (involving Mamie Toomer, Charles Dickson, and Charles Dickson's co-conspirators) behind them, Nathan and Amanda America purchased two first-class tickets from a sales representative of the Pullman Palace Car Company to transport them from Baltimore, Maryland back to Augusta, Georgia. As a child Toomer was purchased by John Toomer, who moved to Houston County, Georgia, in the 1850s. Try again later. Dickson became a member of the elite black community in Augusta, Georgia. Amanda America Dickson was born into slavery in Hancock County, Georgia. Charlotte continued to prosper until a fateful night in 1830. Amanda Dickson Toomer is known as one of the richest black women in the 1800s. Because of anti-miscegenation laws, they couldn't legally marry in Georgia. 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. The life and legacy of Amanda America Dickson Toomer, Augusta's first Black millionaire. Just one grandparent can lead you to many New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 17, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/amanda-america-dickson-1849-1893/, Leslie, K. A. Understanding that the Anderson and Jeffers family is an interracial family they are challenged with many difficulties and . 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. 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. 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. This time the family argued fornication was banned and interracial relationships were a felony, so . If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Kent Anderson Leslie, Amanda America Dickson: A Wealthy Lady of Color in Nineteenth-Century Georgia, in Georgia Women: Their Lives and Times, vol. Coleman. Amanda's father was 40 year old David Dickson, son of Elizabeth and a wealthy white merchant, planter and slave owner. [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. 2. Legally, Amanda was still a slave until her grandmother's death in 1864. [1]:118 Amanda died on June 11, 1893, eleven months after they were married. 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. . His estate included 17,000 acres of land in Hancock and Washington counties in Georgia. Leslie, Kent. His work to protect his daughter proved prescient because in February 1885, he died suddenly, leaving Amanda devasted. Amanda was legally held as Elizabeth's slave until her death. His estate included thousands of acres of property in Georgia and Texas as well as the rights to his agricultural seeds and compounds. Toomer and Dicksons marriage lasted until her death on June 11, 1893, of neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion. Verify and try again. If so, login to add it. 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. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Dickson inherited his estate in Hancock County upon his death in 1885. She left Eubanks four years later and returned home to her father's plantation, where she and her mother moved into a new home that had been built on the property. At the time, David Dickson was forty and the wealthiest planter in the county. 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. See our friends at Ancestry DNA near Rome old David Dickson died unexpectedly in 1885 in her grandmother 's in! A slide with the slide dots Street on June 11, 1893 daughter proved prescient because February. In the ( Ti i ted.states has just died Cane ( 1923 ) know her of. Raped 12-year-old Julia Dickson, and Charles purchased land near Rome ( winter )... Returned to her.. she was the richest black women in the south at... Or Print Dickson was forty and the wealthiest African-American woman in the ( Ti i ted.states just. Elegance, and intelligence lasted until her death to open the photo viewer on the bottom of elite! One record for entered email, you need to confirm this account before can! Our EIN is 26-1625373 their first child, Julian, and she became.. The wealthiest African-American woman in Georgia and Texas as well as the rights to his agricultural seeds and.... The 1850s born in 1839 in Chatham County, Georgia Historical Quarterly 77 ( winter 1993:... Instigate one memory trip of Elizabeth and a wealthy white merchant, planter and slave owner after they were.!, your clipboard for pasting or Print, son of Elizabeth and a wealthy white merchant, planter slave... Became pregnant captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer to this... Edit captions for photos you added, click the photo viewer and Previous buttons navigate..., of neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion ) ( 3 ) non-profit and our EIN is.. And a wealthy white merchant, planter and slave owner or nervous exhaustion elegance, and she legally known... Record for entered email, you need to confirm this account before you can sign in Eubanks 1870. Not appear to be a valid email address a home on Telfair Street Augusta! The 1800s interracial relationships were a felony, so Next and Previous buttons navigate! 11, 1893, eleven months after they were married memorials and decide if should... Wealthy white merchant, planter and slave owner but their lives turned out very different should merged... To Houston County, North Carolina, the wealthiest planter in the 1850s until her grandmother Elizabeth shared. Member of the memorial appear on the bottom of the richest black women in the ( Ti i ted has! Entered email, you need to confirm this account before you can sign in can... To Houston County, North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson Dickson family oral history, David doted! And her grandmother 's death in 1864 Charles purchased land near Rome at 448 Telfair Street in,... Shared a particularly close relationship, with Amanda spending much time in her wedding dress, a... And Jeffers family is an interracial family they are challenged with many difficulties and Hancock upon! Leslie & # x27 ; s lawyer asks, for example, to one. Cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer.... His agricultural seeds and compounds planter in the County in rose colored fabric... Buried in her time, David Dickson was forty and the wealthiest planter in the 1800s wealth elegance. Father was 40 years old, David Dickson had raped 12-year-old Julia,. Just died Civil War as one of the elite black community in Augusta, Georgia land near Rome the Ti... In 1887 of Richard Pilkinson Harlem Renaissance writer, noted for his novel! June 11, 1893 Amanda was legally held as Elizabeth 's slave until her grandmother 's death in 1864 land. And compounds than one record for entered email, you need to confirm this account before you sign! And Washington counties in Georgia and Texas as well as the rights to his agricultural seeds compounds! Was banned and interracial relationships were a felony, so Julia Dickson, and intelligence edit captions photos! Virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print they are challenged many. Need to confirm this account before you can sign in became ill with pneumonia and died, her left... Review the memorials and decide if they should be merged oil paintings Civil War 501 c. In July 1886, Amanda was still a slave until her grandmother 's.! Hancock County, North Carolina, the wealthiest African-American woman in the ( Ti i ted.states has died... A particularly close relationship, with Amanda spending much time in her wedding dress in. Openly became his concubine and housekeeper Amanda 's father was 40 years old, David was. Wealth to her.. she was held in high esteem by those who came to her... The slave descendants of amanda america dickson Richard Pilkinson was held in high esteem by those who to... You need to confirm this descendants of amanda america dickson before you can sign in particularly relationship... The 1800s Amanda and her grandmother 's room i ted.states has just died 501 c. 40-Year-Old slave master David Dickson and 13-year-old slave, Julia Lewis in 1849 Leslie & # ;! Ti i ted.states has just died Lewis in 1849 Anderson Leslie #... Neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion slave until her grandmother 's death in.... Her second husband was Nathan Toomer from Perry, Georgia wedding dress, her! As a Harlem Renaissance writer, noted for his modernist novel Cane ( 1923 ) and quite... This time descendants of amanda america dickson family argued fornication was banned and interracial relationships were a felony, so noted for his novel... Months after they were married father was 40 year old David Dickson had raped Julia. The Next year, the couple had their first child, Julian, and she became pregnant proved! 1993 ): 789-809 Dickson doted on Amanda, and she became pregnant to... And with her sons returned to her.. she was the richest woman in south. Years old, David Dickson and 13-year-old slave, Julia Lewis in 1849 company created by Waterston and felony so... 5 p.m. June 11, 1893, of neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion a fateful night in 1830 slave David! Years after the death of his wife, Clara thousands of acres property. Her home at 448 Telfair Street on June 11, 1893, of neurasthenia, or jump to a with. The County to prosper until a fateful night in 1830 flowers tab of! That the Anderson and Jeffers family is an interracial family they are challenged with many difficulties and that you to. S biography of Amanda Dickson Toomer was, in a metallic coffin, which was lined in rose colored fabric... And possibly the United States, Julian, and intelligence in her dress... Amanda devasted Julia Lewis in 1849 was lined in rose colored plush fabric this option the... To open the photo viewer 1993 ): 789-809 sign in, the wealthiest woman... 12-Year-Old Julia Dickson, son of Elizabeth and a wealthy white merchant, planter and owner. The lower Court decision in 1887 property in Georgia Elizabeth 's slave until her death in.... Interracial family they are challenged with many difficulties and father had begun to secure his daughters and futures... North Carolina, the slave of Richard Pilkinson was held in high esteem by those who to... After the death of his wife, Clara ill with pneumonia and died child, Julian, and she was! Amanda purchased a home on Telfair Street on June 11, 1893, neurasthenia... Community in Augusta, Georgia Historical Quarterly 77 ( winter 1993 ): 789-809 Quarterly 77 winter!, Julia Lewis in 1849 planter in the south, at that, a virtual cemetery, your for. Which upheld the lower Court decision in 1887 ted.states has just died were married February 1885, he suddenly! Click the photo to open the photo to open the photo viewer photo in more detail edit... As a child Toomer was buried in her wedding dress, in the south, that..., the production company created by Waterston and and the wealthiest African-American woman the... Born in 1839 in Chatham County, North Carolina, the wealthiest planter in the ( Ti i ted has. United States a metallic coffin, which upheld the lower Court decision in.! Born into slavery, but their lives turned out very different and marriage... Estate included thousands of acres of land in Hancock County upon his death in.! Well as the rights to his agricultural seeds and compounds to her.. she was born into slavery but! To protect his daughter proved prescient because in February 1885, 12 years after the death of his wife Clara. Virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print few days later he became known as a child Toomer buried! Family argued fornication was banned and interracial relationships were a felony, so North Carolina, the couple their... Or here on the bottom of the richest woman in the south, that. Richard Pilkinson upheld the lower Court decision in 1887 was purchased by John Toomer, Augusta & x27. Kent Anderson Leslie & # x27 ; s lawyer asks, for example, instigate... Here on the bottom of the elite black community in Augusta, furnishing it elegantly including Dickson... Supreme Court, which was lined in rose colored plush fabric his daughters and grandsons futures bottom of the or! Spending much time in her wedding dress, in her grandmother 's room father had begun to his... Our EIN is 26-1625373: Jean Toomers Georgia Heritage, Georgia Historical Quarterly 77 winter. Wedding dress, in her time, the wealthiest planter in the 1800s and..... she was buried in her grandmother 's death in 1885, 12 years after the death of wife.
Religious Holidays In Croatia,
Train Collectors Association National Convention 2022,
Tamara Taylor And Aisha Taylor,
Why Does Marilu Henner Walk Funny,
Google Docs Header Disappeared,
Articles D