Amanda America Dickson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amanda America Dickson
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | November 20, 1849 |
| Died | June 11, 1893 (aged 43) |
| Alma mater | Atlanta University |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
Amanda America Dickson (born November 20, 1849 – died June 11, 1893) was an important African-American woman from Georgia. She became one of the richest African American women in the 1800s. This happened after she inherited a huge amount of land and money from her white father.
Amanda was born into slavery. Her father, David Dickson, was a white plantation owner. Her mother, Julia Frances Lewis, was an enslaved young woman. Amanda was raised by her white grandmother, Elizabeth Sholars Dickson. She received a good education and learned social skills. Her father made sure she had a privileged life, different from other enslaved people. This was before slavery ended after the Civil War. In her late 20s, Amanda studied teaching at Atlanta University. This was a historically black college.
After her father died in 1885, Amanda inherited his large estate. This included 17,000 acres of land in Georgia. Her father's white relatives tried to challenge his will in court. But Amanda won the case. She married twice. Her first husband was white. Her second husband was a wealthy and educated African American man.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Amanda America Dickson was born into slavery in Hancock County, Georgia. Her enslaved mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, was only 13 when Amanda was born. David Dickson, Amanda's father, was a white plantation owner. He owned Amanda's mother. He was one of the wealthiest plantation owners in the county.
After Amanda was a baby, she was taken to live with her white grandmother. This was Elizabeth Sholars Dickson, her father's mother. Amanda's grandmother used her as a house servant.
As Amanda grew up, her father became very rich and famous. He was known for his new and successful farming methods. By 1861, people called him the "Prince of Georgia Farmers." He helped the region become very prosperous.
Amanda's father loved her very much. Her special status allowed her to live a more privileged life, even though she was enslaved.
David Dickson made sure Amanda got an education. In her grandmother's house, she learned to read, write, and play the piano. This was very unusual for enslaved people. Amanda also learned how to behave like a "lady" in society. She learned to dress elegantly. Her father also taught her how to manage money and business.
In 1864, Amanda's grandmother Elizabeth Sholars Dickson passed away. Amanda and her grandmother were very close. Amanda was legally Elizabeth's slave until her death. Back then, Georgia laws made it very hard to free enslaved people. So, Elizabeth and David could not officially free Amanda. Slavery was finally abolished in the U.S. on December 6, 1865.
At age twenty-seven, Amanda left her father's plantation. She went to Atlanta University to study teaching. She attended from 1876 to 1878.
Amanda's Marriages
In 1866, when Amanda was sixteen, she moved to a small plantation. It was in Floyd County, Georgia, near Rome. She married Charles Eubanks, who was a white cousin and a Civil War veteran. At that time, Georgia had laws against interracial marriage. So, Amanda and Charles could not legally marry in Georgia. It is not clear if they married outside the state or just lived as if they were married.
They had two sons: Julian Henry (born 1866) and Charles Green Eubanks (born 1870). Both sons later married important people in Georgia society. Julian Henry Eubanks married Eva Walton. She was the granddaughter of George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Charles Green Eubanks married Kate Holsey. Her father, Lucius Holsey, was a bishop in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church.
After four years, Amanda left Charles Eubanks. She returned to her father's plantation in 1870. Charles Eubanks died a few years later in 1873.
Years later, on July 14, 1892, Amanda married again. Her second husband was Nathan Toomer from Perry, Georgia. She became known as Amanda America Dickson Toomer. Nathan Toomer was a wealthy and educated African-American man. He learned a lot about business from a white gentleman he worked for. Amanda died on June 11, 1893, less than a year after they married.
David Dickson's Will
When David Dickson died suddenly on February 18, 1885, Amanda America Dickson inherited most of his huge estate. This included 17,000 acres of land. His will stated that Amanda should have full control over her inheritance. It also said no one, not even a husband, could interfere.
Seventy-nine of David Dickson's white relatives challenged the will in court. They claimed David was not thinking clearly when he wrote the will. They also said Amanda was not his child.
On July 6, 1885, a judge named R. H. Lewis ruled that the will was valid. The trial in the Superior Court of Hancock County began in November 1885. The court sided with Amanda America Dickson and her two sons.
In March 1886, the white relatives appealed to the Supreme Court of Georgia. On October 11, 1886, the Supreme Court heard the case. Chief Justice James Jackson was against upholding the will. He died a few days later from pneumonia.
Another judge, Logan E. Bleckley, took his place and refused to hear the case again. Finally, on June 13, 1887, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled in favor of Amanda America and her sons. They said that the rights of a black woman and her children were the same as those of a white woman and her children. This formally settled the dispute over David Dickson's will.
Life in Augusta, Georgia
Her father's death in 1885 changed Amanda America's life completely. She quickly took steps to protect her legal rights. She also moved to Augusta, Georgia, to get away from her father's unhappy white relatives. Augusta was a city she knew well.
She arrived in Augusta in 1886. She bought a large, seven-bedroom house on Telfair Street. This neighborhood had people of different races. White Georgians often judged black citizens based on race, not wealth. However, some accepted children of rich plantation owners, especially if they looked mostly white. Amanda became part of the wealthy black community in Augusta. People respected her for her wealth, elegance, and intelligence.
Death
In June 1893, Amanda America and Nathan Toomer bought first-class train tickets. They were traveling from Baltimore, Maryland, back to Augusta, Georgia. But because of racial discrimination, they were not allowed their first-class seats. Their journey was delayed. The conditions on the train became very difficult for Amanda. Her health quickly got worse.
On June 9, 1893, a doctor examined her. He noted she was very nervous and anxious to get home. Nathan and Amanda arrived home in Augusta that afternoon. Another doctor diagnosed her with "neurasthenia," which meant general exhaustion of the nervous system.
Amanda America Dickson Toomer died on June 11, 1893. Her death certificate listed "complications of diseases" as the cause.
Her funeral was held at the Trinity Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in Augusta. Amanda America died without a will. This led to a legal fight over her estate. Her mother, Julia Frances Lewis Dickson, and her second husband, Nathan Toomer, both wanted to manage her estate. In the end, Julia Dickson, Nathan Toomer, and Amanda's younger son, Charles Dickson, settled the dispute peacefully out of court.
Nine months after Amanda's death, Nathan Toomer married Nina Pinchback. Her father was P. B. S. Pinchback, a senator from Louisiana. On December 26, 1894, Nathan and Nina had a son named Jean Toomer. He later became a famous writer during the Harlem Renaissance. He is known for his novel Cane (1923).
Representation in Popular Culture
The television movie A House Divided (2000) tells the story of Amanda America Dickson's life. Jennifer Beals played Amanda Dickson. Sam Waterston played David Dickson. LisaGay Hamilton played Julia Frances Lewis Dickson. Shirley Douglas played Elizabeth Sholars Dickson.
