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'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

E-artnow present the anthology of the most impactful slave narratives. The collection includes the memoirs, letters and biographies of former slaves, with the thousands of recorded interviews made in the South until 1970s: Frederick Douglass: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Life and Times of Frederick Douglass My Bondage and My Freedom Harriet Jacobs: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Harriet: The Moses of Her People Booker T. Washington: Up From Slavery The Story of My Life and Work The Story of Slavery The Underground Railroad 12 Years a Slave (Solomon Northup) Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave The History of Mary Prince The Blind African Slave (Boyrereau Brinch) The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano The Life and Adventures of Zamba, an African King (Zamba Zembola) A Narrative of Some Remarkable Incidents in the Life of Solomon Bayley Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom (William and Ellen Craft) Narrative of the Adventures and Escape of Moses Roper Narrative of Henry Watson - A Fugitive Slave Slave Life in Georgia: A Narrative of the Life Sufferingsand Escape of John Brown The Rev. J. W. Loguen, as a Slave and as a Freeman, a Narrative of Real Life The Experience of a Slave in South Carolina (John Andrew Jackson) The Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of Slave! (Willie Lynch) The Confessions of Nat Turner (Nat Turner) Thirty Years a Slave: From Bondage to Freedom (Louis Hughes) Narrative of the Life of J. D. Green, a Runaway Slave (Jacob D. Green) Behind The Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave & Four Years in the White House (Elizabeth Keckley) Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (Josiah Henson) Fifty Years in Chains; or, the Life of an American Slave (Charles Ball) Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman (Austin Steward) Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave, Written by Himself (Henry Bibb) The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave The House of Bondage (Octavia Albert) The Story of Mattie J. Jackson The Fugitive Blacksmith (James W. C. Pennington) A Slave Girl's Story (Kate Drumgoold) From the Darkness Cometh the Light, or Struggles for Freedom (Lucy A. Delaney) Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy, a Slave in the United States of America The Life and Sufferings of Leonard Black, a Fugitive from Slavery Narrative of Joanna; An Emancipated Slave, of Surinam (John Gabriel Stedman) Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped in a 3x2 Feet Box, Written by Himself (Henry Box Brown) Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley (Margaretta Matilda Odell) Buried Alive (Behind Prison Walls) For a Quarter of a Century. Life of William Walker (Thomas S. Gaines) Autobiography of James L. Smith Sketches of the Life of Joseph Mountain, a Negro The Kidnapped and the Ransomed (Peter Still) Twice Sold, Twice Ransomed (Emma and Lloyd Ray) Memories of Childhood's Slavery Days (Annie L. Burton) Aunt Dice: The Story of a Faithful Slave (by Nina Hill Robinson) The Autobiography of Nicholas Said Life of George Henry Slavery in the United States: A Narrative of Charles Ball Josiah: The Maimed Fugitive Bond and Free (Israel Campbell) Narrative of the Sufferings of Lewis Clarke My Slave Life – In Virginia and Kentucky (Francis Fedric) Buried Alive: Behind Prison Walls For a Quarter of a Century (William Walker) Sunshine and Shadow of Slave Life (Isaac D. Williams) A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture Smith The Life History and Unparalleled Sufferings of John Jea A Narrative of the Life and Laborsof the Rev. Greensbury Washington Offley Narrative of the Adventures and Escape of Moses Roper The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave From Slavery to Wealth: The Life of Scott Bond Out of the Ditch: A True Story of an Ex-Slave (Joseph Vance Lewis)

This unique collection consists of the most influential narratives of former slaves, including numerous recorded testimonies, life stories and original photos of former slaves long after Civil War: Recorded Life Stories of Former Slaves from 17 different US States Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 12 Years a Slave (Solomon Northup) The Underground Railroad Harriet Jacobs: The Moses of Her People Up From Slavery (Booker T. Washington) The Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of Slave! The Confessions of Nat Turner Narrative of Sojourner Truth The History of Mary Prince Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom (William & Ellen Craft) Thirty Years a Slave (Louis Hughes) Narrative of the Life of J. D. Green The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano Behind The Scenes: 30 Years a Slave & 4 Years in the White House (Elizabeth Keckley) Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (Josiah Henson) Fifty Years in Chains (Charles Ball) Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman (Austin Steward) Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave The Story of Mattie J. Jackson (L. S. Thompson) A Slave Girl's Story (Kate Drumgoold) From the Darkness Cometh the Light (Lucy A. Delaney) Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy, a Slave in the United States of America Narrative of Joanna Life of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped in a 3x2 Feet Box Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley Buried Alive Sketches of the Life of Joseph Mountain Documents: The History of the Abolition of African Slave-Trade History of American Abolitionism from 1787-1861 Pictures of Slavery in Church and State Report of the Proceedings at the Examination of Charles G. Davis, Esq., on the Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases The Duty of Disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Act Emancipation Proclamation Gettysburg Address XIII Amendment Civil Rights Act of 1866 XIV Amendment...

This carefully crafted ebook:'Slavery: Not Forgiven, Never Forgotten'is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: Memoirs Narrative of Frederick Douglass 12 Years a Slave The Underground Railroad Up From Slavery Willie Lynch Letter Confessions of Nat Turner Narrative of Sojourner Truth Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl History of Mary Prince Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom Thirty Years a Slave Narrative of the Life of J. D. Green The Life of Olaudah Equiano Behind The Scenes Harriet: The Moses of Her People Father Henson's Story of His Own Life 50 Years in Chains Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave Story of Mattie J. Jackson A Slave Girl's Story From the Darkness Cometh the Light Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy Narrative of Joanna Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped in a 3x2 Feet Box Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley Buried Alive (Behind Prison Walls) For a Quarter of a Century Sketches of the Life of Joseph Mountain Novels Oroonoko Uncle Tom's Cabin Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Heroic Slave Slavery's Pleasant Homes Our Nig Clotelle Marrow of Tradition Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man A Fool's Errand Bricks Without Straw Imperium in Imperio The Hindered Hand Historical Documents The History of Abolition of African Slave-Trade History of American Abolitionism Pictures of Slavery in Church and State Life, Last Words and Dying Speech of Stephen Smith Who Was Executed for Burglary Report on Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases Duty of Disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Act Emancipation Proclamation (1863) Gettysburg Address XIII Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1865) Civil Rights Act of 1866 XIV Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1868) Reconstruction Acts (1867-1868)...

This unique collection consists of the most influential memoirs - powerful & unflinching narratives of former slaves and stories of people who helped them; including records and letters which unfold all the hardship, hair-breadth escapes and death struggles of the slaves in their efforts to reach freedom: Narrative of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Freedom Fighter & Statesman 12 Years a Slave - Memoir of Solomon Northup, a Free-Born African American Who Was Kidnapped and Sold into Slavery The Underground Railroad (William Still) - stories of 649 slaves who escaped to freedom through a secret network formed by abolitionists and former slaves Harriet: The Moses of Her People – Story of the Woman Who Led Hundreds of Slaves to Freedom as the Conductor on the Underground Railroad Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Harriet Jacobs) Narrative of Sojourner Truth - leading abolitionist and women's rights activist The Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano - Former Slave, Seaman & Freedom Fighter Up From Slavery, by Booker T. Washington - the Visionary Educator, Leader and Civil Rights Activist The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave – Memoir that Influenced the Anti-Slavery Cause of British Colonies Father Henson's Story of His Own Life – by Josiah Henson who was the inspiration for the character of Tom in Uncle Tom's Cabin Uncle Tom's Cabin, anti-slavery influential novel which made a crucial impact on America's conscience by illustrating slavery's affect on families The Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of Slave! The Confessions of Nat Turner The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave - Autobiography that Influenced the Anti-Slavery Cause of British Colonies Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom (William and Ellen Craft) Thirty Years a Slave: From Bondage to Freedom (Louis Hughes) Narrative of the Life of J. D. Green, a Runaway Slave (Jacob D. Green) Behind The Scenes: 30 Years a Slave & 4 Years in the White House (Elizabeth Keckley)

This edition brings to you the most powerful voices of women who survived slavery in 18th and 19th century. Their life stories, their actions and their truth had an impact on the expansion of anti-slavery movement in the Northern States of America and British Empire and the subsequent abolition of slavery. Today, in our'modern'society, there are over 30 million girls and women who are victims of slavery. Some of the survivors are trying to fight with their voices. However, in this era - everybody is listening, but sadly nobody is reacting. This collection includes: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Harriet Jacobs) Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave The History of Mary Prince Behind The Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave & Four Years in the White House (Elizabeth Keckley) A Slave Girl's Story (Kate Drumgoold) From the Darkness Cometh the Light, or Struggles for Freedom (Lucy A. Delaney) Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley (Margaretta Matilda Odell) Twice Sold, Twice Ransomed (Emma and Lloyd Ray) Memories of Childhood's Slavery Days (Annie L. Burton) Aunt Dice: The Story of a Faithful Slave (Nina Hill Robinson) Autobiography of a Female Slave (Martha Griffith Browne)

This edition brings to you the finest collection of personal memoirs from the true champions of liberty. With their powerful narratives, they have changed people's convictions about slavery and shook the very foundation of this social evil: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup The Underground Railroad The Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of Slave! Confessions of Nat Turner Narrative of Sojourner Truth Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs Harriet: The Moses of Her People History of Mary Prince Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom, by William and Ellen Craft Thirty Years a Slave: From Bondage to Freedom, by Louis Hughes Narrative of the Life of J. D. Green, a Runaway Slave Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Narrative of Olaudah Equiano Behind The Scenes - 30 Years a Slave & 4 Years in the White House, by Elizabeth Keckley Father Henson's Story of His Own Life Fifty Years in Chains, by Charles Ball Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman, by Austin Steward Narrative of the Life of Henry Bibb Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave Story of Mattie J. Jackson A Slave Girl's Story, by Kate Drumgoold From the Darkness Cometh the Light, by Lucy A. Delaney Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy Narrative of Joanna; An Emancipated Slave, of Surinam Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped in a 3x2 Feet Box Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley Buried Alive For a Quarter of a Century - Life of William Walker Pictures of Slavery in Church and State Dying Speech of Stephen Smith Who Was Executed for Burglary Life of Joseph Mountain Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave Lynch Law in All Its Phases Duty of Disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Act Captain Canot Pearl Incident: Personal Memoir of Daniel Drayton History of Abolition of African Slave-Trade History of American Abolitionism

Born in Virginia in 1818, Elizabeth Keckley grew up enslaved until she was able to purchase her and her son's freedom with money made from working as a seamstress. As she continued to perfect her craft, her styles caught the attention of the elite in Washington D.C. It wasn't until the day of Abraham Lincoln's inauguration that she crossed paths with Mary Todd Lincoln, who took Elizabeth on as her personal confidante and seamstress. Behind the Scenes not only offers an intimate look into the enslaved and free life of Elizabeth Keckley but also the lives of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. At the time of publication, the lives of presidents and their families were private and not known to the public—this book gave everyone an idea of what it was like inside the White House.

This unique collection consists of the most influential narratives of former slaves and the stories of people who have helped them. With their powerful & unflinching stories, they changed people's convictions and shook the very foundation of slavery: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup The Underground Railroad The Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of Slave! Confessions of Nat Turner Narrative of Sojourner Truth Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs Harriet: The Moses of Her People History of Mary Prince Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom, by William and Ellen Craft Thirty Years a Slave: From Bondage to Freedom, by Louis Hughes Narrative of the Life of J. D. Green, a Runaway Slave Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Narrative of Olaudah Equiano Behind The Scenes - 30 Years a Slave & 4 Years in the White House, by Elizabeth Keckley Father Henson's Story of His Own Life Fifty Years in Chains, by Charles Ball Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman, by Austin Steward Narrative of the Life of Henry Bibb Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave Story of Mattie J. Jackson A Slave Girl's Story, by Kate Drumgoold From the Darkness Cometh the Light, by Lucy A. Delaney Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy Narrative of Joanna; An Emancipated Slave, of Surinam Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped in a 3x2 Feet Box Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley Buried Alive For a Quarter of a Century - Life of William Walker Pictures of Slavery in Church and State Dying Speech of Stephen Smith Who Was Executed for Burglary Life of Joseph Mountain Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave Lynch Law in All Its Phases Duty of Disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Act Captain Canot Pearl Incident: Personal Memoir of Daniel Drayton History of Abolition of African Slave-Trade History of American Abolitionism

Behind the Scenes (1868) is both a slave narrative and a portrait of the First Family of America, especially of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln. After the assassination of President Lincoln, Elizabeth Keckley the former slave turned confidant and dress maker of Mrs. Lincoln took it upon herself to provide financial support to her by writing this slave narrative. But in spite of Keckley's good intentions the publication of her life story spelled doom for her own career and her friendship with the Lincolns to an extent that all efforts were made to suppress and falsify it. Yet this book has survived all odds and has now become an important document on Anti-Slavery and the Lincolns. A must read for anyone who is interested in American History! Elizabeth Keckley (1818-1907) was a former slave who became a successful dressmaker, civil rights activist, and author in Washington, DC. Her relationship with Mary T. Lincoln was notable for its personal quality and intimacy. Besides, Keckley was also deeply committed to programs of racial improvement and protection. She helped in founding the Home for Destitute Women and Children and taught at Wilberforce University in Ohio.

Vozes da liberdade é uma curadoria de títulos com histórias profundas e importantes da história dos direitos dos afro-estadunidenses. São biografias e autobiografias que fundamentarem a luta por igualdade. Conheça:'A história de Sojourner Truth, a escrava do Norte','Relato da vida de Frederick Douglass, um escravo americano','Nos bastidores - Trinta anos escrava, quatro anos na Casa Branca','Incidentes na vida de uma escrava'.

Elizabeth Keckley criou vestidos esplêndidos para a primeira-dama americana, Mary Todd Lincoln. Modista procurada pela elite da capital norte-americana, tornou-se uma bem-sucedida mulher de negócios e concretizou seus planos de fazer parte da classe média. Do calvário da escravidão aos bastidores da Casa Branca, em meio à classe privilegiada, às maledicências e aos terremotos políticos pelos quais os Estados Unidos foram sacudidos naquela época tão conturbada, Elizabeth narra brilhantemente seu passado como escrava e sua vida na residência oficial do presidente que é considerado por estudiosos e pelo povo um dos três mais importantes dos Estados Unidos até a atualidade.

Elizabeth Keckley reveals the hardships of slavery and the changing political climate in Washington amongst the country's most powerful couple, Abraham and Mary Lincoln. Keckley had unprecedented access, giving insight into their state during and after the Civil War. Elizabeth Keckley was born into slavery and experienced a traumatic upbringing riddled with physical and sexual violence. One attack resulted in the birth of her son, whom she named George. Elizabeth was a gifted seamstress who used her skills to save money to buy her and her son's freedom. She ventured North and started a career as a dressmaker to influential women in political circles. One of her most notable clients was Mary Todd Lincoln, with whom she developed a close friendship. Behind the Scenes is a harrowing story of one woman's unshakable drive. Despite her limiting circumstances, Elizabeth Keckley earned her freedom and became a successful entrepreneur. It's an inspiring tale that provides a personal account of one of the most volatile times in American history. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Behind the Scenes is both modern and readable. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

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.

Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (sometimes spelled Keckly; February 1818 – May 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.

The revealing memoir of a woman who bought her freedom from slavery and became a White House dressmaker and confidant to Mary Todd Lincoln. Born into slavery in Virginia, Elizabeth Keckley was whipped, sexually abused, and separated from her mother for long stretches of time. When her master eventually settled in St. Louis, Missouri, Keckley resolved to buy her freedom. She put to use her talents as a seamstress and found patrons among the wives of the city's elite, eventually earning enough money to move with her young son to Washington, DC. In the nation's capital, Keckley started her own business and soon had commissions from the wives of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stephen A. Douglas, and Edwin Stanton. Hired by Mary Todd Lincoln to be her personal modiste, Keckley formed a close friendship with the first lady, a relationship strengthened by the tragedies they endured together, including the deaths of their sons and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Published to great controversy in 1868, Behind the Scenes offers an intimate and revealing portrait of life inside the White House as well as the stirring story of one woman's fight to rise above the horrors of slavery. Frequently cited in studies of the Civil War and biographies of the Lincolns, it is a must read for students of American history. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

From slavery to the White HouseIn her riveting memoir, Elizabeth Keckley (1818–1907) takes us behind the scenes of her amazing story, set against some of the most dramatic elements of American history. Following the arc of Keckley's eventful life, which began in slavery and saw her become dressmaker to the First Lady, her book's unique vantage point illustrates the country's violent transition from the slave era to emancipation. Born a slave in Dinwiddie, Virginia, Keckley describes the cruelties that tortured her body but failed to break her spirit. Sent with her master's family to Missouri, she became a skilled dressmaker whose designs were in high demand. In 1855, with loans from her clientele, Keckley secured freedom for herself and her son. By 1860, she had her own business in Washington, D.C. After Mrs. Lincoln wore Keckley's “rose-colored moire-antique” dress to the inauguration, Keckley became the First Lady's “modiste” (maker of fashionable dresses and hats). Keckley had a rare viewpoint on the workings of the White House. She witnessed first-hand the effects of the Lincolns'son Willie's death and the president's assassination, and became Mrs. Lincoln's confidante. Although Keckley greatly admired President Lincoln, her self-portrait of Mrs. Lincoln was more complex. In some of the book's most illuminating and then-controversial passages, Keckley writes with intimate detail about her relationship with the First Lady, including much of their deeply personal correspondence. Dramatic, revealing, and historically compelling, Behind the Scenes is a moving portrait of an extraordinary woman at a remarkable time in history.

Behind the Scenes is the life story of Elizabeth Keckley, a shrewd entrepreneur who, while enslaved, raised enough money to purchase freedom for herself and her son. Keckley moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked as a seamstress and dressmaker for the wives of influential politicians. She eventually became a close confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln. Several years after President Lincoln's assassination, when Mrs. Lincoln's financial situation had worsened, Keckley helped organize an auction of the former first lady's dresses, eliciting strong criticism from members of the Washington elite. Behind the Scenes is, therefore, both a slave narrative and Keckley's attempt to defend the motives behind the auction. However, the book's publication prompted an even greater public outcry, with the added racial subtext of white society's disdain for Keckley's audacity in publishing details of the Lincolns'private lives. Keckley's dressmaking business failed, the Lincoln family cut all ties with her, and she lived out her final days in a home for the indigent. Scholars have acknowledged the book's valuable account of slave life as well as its intimate view into the Lincoln White House. Biographers of the Lincolns have quoted extensively from Keckley's text. A DOCSOUTH BOOK. This collaboration between UNC Press and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library brings classic works from the digital library of Documenting the American South back into print. DocSouth Books uses the latest digital technologies to make these works available in paperback and e-book formats. Each book contains a short summary and is otherwise unaltered from the original publication. DocSouth Books provide affordable and easily accessible editions to a new generation of scholars, students, and general readers.

Born a slave in Virginia, Elizabeth Keckley (c. 1824–1907) went on to become a talented dressmaker and designer, with some twenty employees of her own. Catering to the wives, daughters, and sisters of Washington's political elite, she included among her clientele Mary Todd Lincoln, who became her close friend and confidante.Keckley's behind-the-scenes view of wartime Washington not only provides fascinating glimpses of nineteenth-century America, but also offers candid observations on interracial relationships and the free black middle class. Here also are absorbing details of life in the Lincoln White House, as well as an insider's perspective on the men who made Civil War politics and the women who influenced them. A touching and revelatory work, filled with incisive social commentary, this inspiring narrative by an admirable woman will be an important addition to the libraries of anyone interested in African-American and Civil War history.

Originally published in 1868—when 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 of Abraham Lincoln. Keckley bought her freedom at the age of thirty-seven and set up a successful dressmaking business in Washington, D.C. She became modiste to Mary Todd Lincoln and in time her friend and confidante, a relationship that continued after Lincoln's assassination. In documenting that friendship—often using the First Lady's own letters—Behind the Scenes fuses the slave narrative with the political memoir. It remains extraordinary for its poignancy, candor, and historical perspective.First time in Penguin Classics