"Behind the Scenes" is both a slave narrative and a portrait of the First Family, especially Mary Todd Lincoln, and is considered controversial for breaking privacy about them. It was also her claim as a businesswoman to be part of the new mixed-race, middle-class that was visible among the leadership of the black community. Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (1818 – 1907) was a former slave who became a successful seamstress, civil activist, and author in Washington, DC. She was best known as the personal modiste and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln, the First Lady. She created an independent business in the capital based on clients who were the wives of the government elite. Among them were Varina Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis; and Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee. Where I Was Born Girlhood and Its Sorrows How I Gained My Freedom In the Family of Senator Jefferson Davis My Introduction to Mrs. Lincoln Willie Lincoln's Death-bed Washington in 1862-3 Candid Opinions Behind the Scenes The Second Inauguration The Assassination of President Lincoln Mrs. Lincoln Leaves the White House The Origin of the Rivalry Between Mr. Douglas and Mr. Lincoln Old Friends The Secret History of Mrs. Lincoln's Wardrobe in New York
Part slave narrative, part memoir, and part sentimental fiction Behind the Scenes depicts Elizabeth Keckley's years as a salve and subsequent four years in Abraham Lincoln's White House during the...
Elizabeth Keckley's rise from slave to White House confidante details the cruel and terrible life for those in slavery, and the drive and determination of a woman who would not let others destroy her will.
Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House Elizabeth Keckley. PREFACE. I have often been asked to write my life, as those who know me know that it has been an eventful one. At last I have acceded to the importunities of ...
This enthralling, poignant book is an extraordinary piece of American history that will delight anyone interested in slave narratives, such as Frederick Douglass' ́Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass ́.
Behind the Scenes. by Elizabeth Keckley. Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House.
Originally published in 1868when it was attacked as an indecent book authored by a traitorous eavesdropper"Behind the Scenes" is the story of Elizabeth Keckley, who began her life as a slave and became a privileged witness to the presidency ...
Every thing seemed be left to General Armstrong, then Secretary of war, who ridiculed the idea that there was any danger. But, in August, 1814, the enemy had got so near, there could be no doubt of their intentions.
Originally published in 1868when it was attacked as an indecent book authored by a traitorous eavesdropper"Behind the Scenes" is the story of Elizabeth Keckley, who began her life as a slave and became a privileged witness to the presidency ...
... Elegant Extracts, or Useful and Entertaining Passages from the Best English Authors and Translations. He memorized William Cullen Bryant's poem “Thanatopsis," about accepting death amid life, and turned down the page for William 161.
The comprehensive volume illuminates the life and work of this remarkable 19th-century African American woman.