Tell me about Elizabeth Keckley

Elizabeth Keckley was a highly influential historical figure who rose from enslavement to become a successful businesswoman and a confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln.

Here are a few key facts about her life:

• Early Life: Born into slavery in February 1818 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, Keckley eventually secured her freedom and moved to Washington, D.C. [1]
• Career: She established herself as a highly sought-after dressmaker and seamstress in Washington, serving some of the city's most prominent women [2]. Her skill and reputation eventually led her to the White House, where she became Mary Todd Lincoln’s personal modiste and trusted companion [3].
• Memoir: In 1868, she published her memoir, Behind the Scenes; or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House [3]. The book is a significant historical document that provides a rare, firsthand account of both her life under enslavement and the private lives of the Lincolns during their time in the White House [1, 3].
• Legacy: Keckley is remembered for her resilience in overcoming profound obstacles, her professional success in a segregated society, and the historical importance of her written record [2]. She passed away in 1907 at the age of 89 [2].