Behind the Scenes

by Elizabeth Keckley

Overview

This vintage book contains Elizabeth Keckley's 1868 work, "Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House". Half memoir, half fiction, this volume chronicles Keckley's time spent as a slave and her later life in the White House during the American Civil War. This fascinating volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in American history and would make for a fantastic addition to any bookshelf. Contents include: "Where I was born", "Girlhood and its Sorrow", "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", et cetera. Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (1818-1907) was a slave, seamstress, civil activist and author. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473361140
Publisher:	Read Books Ltd.
Publication date:	06/09/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	376
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Elizabeth Keckley (1818–1907) was a formerly enslaved woman who used her skills as a seamstress to purchase her own freedom. Born in Virginia, she was owned by a local planter and later, his daughter. Despite her status, Elizabeth was recognized for her talent, which she used to support the family. She then raised enough money to buy her freedom and move to Washington D.C. It was there that she started a business, making connections with the political elite, including Mary Todd Lincoln. Later, Keckley would detail the events of her tumultuous life in the autobiography Behind the Scenes (1868).