Elizabeth Keckly

Elizabeth Keckly (1818–1907) was born a slave and later bought her freedom. She became First Lady Mary Lincoln’s confidante and dressmaker from 1861 until 1868, when the two became estranged upon the publication of Keckly’s autobiography Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Keckly raised funds to found the Contraband Relief Association, an organization that provided shelter, food, support, and clothing for freed people living in the capital.