Elizabeth Keckley
Elizabeth Keckley was a notable figure in American history, known for her remarkable journey from slavery to becoming a prominent modiste and confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Born the daughter of enslaved parents in Virginia, Keckley faced numerous hardships, including separation from her family and experiences of abuse. Despite these challenges, she managed to purchase her freedom and that of her son in 1855, after working diligently as a seamstress.
Keckley's skills led her to work with influential figures, including the wives of prominent politicians, and she played a significant role in the fashion scene of the time. Her association with Mary Todd Lincoln provided her with a unique vantage point during a tumultuous period in American history, especially following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, Keckley faced financial difficulties and became embroiled in controversies related to her publication, "Behind the Scenes," which chronicled her experiences.
Later in life, she contributed to education by teaching domestic arts at Wilberforce University, yet she ultimately died in poverty. Keckley’s garments have been preserved, reflecting her legacy, and her life story continues to inspire discussions around race, resilience, and empowerment in American history.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Elizabeth Keckley
Clothing Designer
- Born: February 1, 1818
- Birthplace: Virginia
- Died: May 26, 1907
- Place of death: Washington, D.C.
Biography
Elizabeth Keckley was the daughter of slaves, George Pleasant and Agnes Hobbes. The facts of her life are derived from her own account published as Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (1868). Keckley was owned by the family of Colonel A. Burwell, a Virginian. She was separated from her father when his master moved from Virginia to Tennessee. At fourteen, she was separated from her mother when she was loaned to her master’s son, who took her to live in Hillsboro, North Carolina. Here she was beaten by Mr. Bingham, a white man employed by the family as a tutor.
At eighteen she was given to a family friend, Alexander Kirkland, who raped her and kept her as his mistress for four years. Her son, George, was a product of this union. Kirkland died when George was eighteen months old, and Keckley and her infant son passed to the possession of a Mr. Garland, who had married one of Colonel Burwell’s daughters. Along with her mother and son, Keckley was taken to St. Louis, Missouri. She was married to James Keckley of Virginia, who seems to have misrepresented himself as being freed from slavery, and the eight-year marriage ended in 1860.
Keckley was allowed to save the wages she earned working as a seamstress. On August 13, 1855, she purchased her freedom and that of her son from her mistress, Anne Burwell Garland, for $1200. Keckley moved to Baltimore and then to Washington, D. C., where she established herself as a modiste for fashionable women; her clients included the wives of Jefferson Davis, Stephen A. Douglas, and Edwin M. Stanton. Her son George enlisted in the Union army and died at the battle of Lexington, Missouri, on August 10, 1861. In 1862, she helped found the Contraband Relief Association, an organization that educated escaped slaves.
The wife of General George McClellan introduced Keckley to Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln, and Keckley became Lincoln’s modiste and confidante. After President Lincoln was assassinated, his wife found herself in financial difficulty. She decided to raise money by selling her personal wardrobe and jewelry and put Keckley in charge of these transactions. These sales became politicized after the publication of Lincoln’s correspondence, in which she blamed members of the Republican party for leaving her in poverty. Lincoln was accused of dishonoring her husband’s memory and embarrassing the nation.
There were also rumors that Behind the Scenes had been written or substantively edited by the abolitionist publisher James Redpath. However, Keckley is now considered the author. From 1892 to 1894, Keckley taught domestic arts at Wilberforce University. She died impoverished and alone in the Home for Destitute Women and Children, a Washington, D. C. facility she helped found. Garments designed by Keckley have been preserved in the Anacostia Neighborhood Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C.