Book

Behind the Scenes

Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House

Elizabeth Keckley

1868

G. W. Carleton & Co.

Associated Ideas, People, and Places

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Journal Article

Elizabeth Keckley's Memoir "Behind the Scenes, or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four in the White House"

Keckley’s decision to write about her employers from the viewpoint of a household laborer—she was seamstress to Mary Todd Lincoln—enraged audiences.

by Dorothy Berry, James Olney, Carme Manuel, Janet Neary, Carolyn Sorisio via JSTOR Daily on March 10, 2022
Book Excerpt

How One Amateur Historian Brought Us the Stories of African-Americans Who Knew Abraham Lincoln

Once John E. Washington started to dig, he found an incredible wealth of untapped knowledge about the 16th president.

by Kate Masur via Smithsonian Magazine on February 20, 2018

Viewing 1–2 of 2

Photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln in a dress looking into the distance.

Mary Todd Lincoln Has Long Been Derided. Is Her Reputation Salvageable?

History knows the First Lady as a hysterical widow and a lavish spender. A recent biographer chooses to highlight her mental fortitude and political prowess.

by Thomas Mallon via The New Yorker on May 18, 2026

Elizabeth Keckley

Dressmaking Led Elizabeth Keckley From Slavery to the White House

But her memoir caused a rift with Mary Todd Lincoln.

by Nadra Nittle via Racked on February 26, 2018

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