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).

An autobiographical depiction of the Antebellum South and Civil War from the perspective of a woman born into slavery. Behind the Scenes, by Elizabeth Keckley, charts her journey from a Virginia town to the nation's capital. She recounts the horrors of bondage and her arduous efforts to obtain her freedom.