Died: June 11, 1893 (aged 43) Alma mater: Atlanta University: Spouse(s) Charles Eubanks; Nathan Toomer . My fathers grandmother was a slave of David Dickson, which was Amanda's father. [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. [1]:81100, Judge Logan E. Bleckley filled his vacancy and refused to hear the case again. The family has become part of the educated, professional black elite in the United States. The bride and groom wanted an intimate family wedding and the ability to spend quality time with those they love the most. He had been the slave of Richard Pilkinson of Chatham Co., North Carolina, the personal assistant and slave of John Toomer of Houston Co., Georgia, and finally the property of Col. Henry Toomer of Perry. Julian Henry Eubanks married Eva Walton, the granddaughter of George Walton, who is credited as one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 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. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Maintained by: BeNotForgot 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. Thank you for your time. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. 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. Amanda America Dickson's birthplace, Hancock County, Georgia, is in the fertile so-called black belt of the state, 125 miles south and east of Atlanta, between the pre-Civil War capital of Milledgeville and the river-port city of Augusta (Map 1). Both were born into slavery, but their lives turned out very different. By 1860, David Dickson, who earned a widespread reputation as an agricultural reformer, was the wealthiest planter in the county. 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. Her mother, a slave belonging to his mother, had been raped at age 12 or 13 by David Dickson. He never woke up. [1]:120121 Dr. F. D. Kendall, who examined her on the morning of June 9, 1893, noted that her heart and lungs appeared to be fine, but that she was obviously very nervous and anxious to return home. 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-???. 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] On July 15, 1886, before the Georgia Supreme Court ruling, pressure from other family members forced Dickson to leave the family plantation where she had spent most of her life. A House Divided . [1]:47, Throughout Amanda's childhood, her father became wealthier and more famous, renowned for his innovative and successful farming techniques. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. This 1,200 square foot home, which was built in 2018, sits on a 0.40 acre lot. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She was born. 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. [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. 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). Amanda America Dickson was born to 40-year-old slave master David Dickson and 13-year-old slave, Julia Lewis in 1849. 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". [1]:44, In 1864, Amanda's grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson died. 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. Shortly thereafter Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. At that time she and her children took the last name of Dickson. This home is located at 1173 W Grab Creek Rd in Dickson, TN and zip code 37055. 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). . Antebellum Hancock County, Georgia, was a place where black slaves outnumbered . 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. A system error has occurred. Upon John Toomers death in 1859, his brother Colonel Henry Toomer purchased Nathans mother, Kit, and seven of her children from the estate. A. Dickson Toomer was, in her time, the wealthiest African-American woman in Georgia and possibly the United States. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. 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. Woodard, My GA History, Amanda America Dickson, http://mygahistory.com/amanda-america-dickson/. Buy Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-93: Read Books Reviews - Amazon.com . [1]:118 Amanda died on June 11, 1893, eleven months after they were married. Your support helps us commission new entries and update existing content. 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. Amanda America Dickson was born in November of 1849. "the wealthiest colored woman in America". Amanda Dickson Toomer died at her home at 448 Telfair Street on June 11, 1893. Learn more about managing a memorial . 0 cemeteries found in Houston County, Georgia, USA. All Rights Reserved. Amanda America Dickson's life reflected the power of family and class to erode the boundaries of race in the nineteenth-century South. The son of this marriage was Jean Toomer, the author of the novel Cane (1923). In 1892 Dickson married Nathan Toomer of Perry. 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). (1-1) Philip Brown, of Westbrook, recipient of a Spirit of America Foundation Award. 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. He became known as a Harlem Renaissance writer, noted for his modernist novel Cane (1923). Elegant Experiences. A few days later he became ill with pneumonia and died. In 1892, she married Nathan Toomer of Perry, Georgia. Jean-Baptiste and Catherine had two children, Jean-Baptiste Jr. and Suzanne. Drama In the aftermath of the terrible Civil War which has devastated the South, Amanda America Dixon returns home to find she has become the sole heir to a vast cotton plantation. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. 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. 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. Kent Anderson Leslie uses the events of Dickson's life to explore the forces driving southern race and gender . [1]:4244 In her white grandmother's household, she learned to read, write, and play the piano, unlike what was permitted for her enslaved relatives. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. As a result, her health quickly deteriorated. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Her story is unique. Amanda was not only one of the wealthiest Blacks in the U.S., but also one of the wealthiest people in the country. She was the richest woman in the south, at that, a black woman during the civil war era. They serve as an inspiration and testament to the strength of the human spirit and the will to succeed. Shortly thereafter Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. To use this feature, use a newer browser. [1]:117 Nathan Toomer was a wealthy, educated African-American man of her class. 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. His work to protect his daughter proved prescient because in February 1885, he died suddenly, leaving Amanda devasted. 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. [1]:47. Coleman. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. Features. In her youth, Amanda was taken into the Dickson family home and raised by her paternal grandmother where she was taught to read, write, and play the piano. Hi my name is Ashlee Dickson and I am a descendent of Amanda America Dickson. As Henry Toomer's personal assistant, Nathan Toomer learned the manner of the white upper class. 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. 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