Behind the Scenes; or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House

Behind the Scenes; or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House is the 1868 memoir of Elizabeth Keckley. Born into slavery in Virginia, Keckley learned to read, write, and sew from her mother. She was later sent to North Carolina, where she endured mistreatment and rape. In 1847, she moved to St. Louis with her enslavers, the Garlands. Through her exceptional skills as a seamstress, she supported the Garland household and eventually saved enough to purchase her freedom and that of her son in 1855.1

Keckley then moved to Washington, D.C., where she became a successful dressmaker. She was hired as the personal modiste and confidante to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. During her time in the White House, Keckley witnessed President Abraham Lincoln's personal life and helped found the Contraband Relief Association, which aided formerly enslaved people. Her memoir offers insights into her life and the Lincoln White House, though it caused a rift with Mary Todd Lincoln.12