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Contribution #85 of 365
Elizabeth Keckley
Master Dressmaker and Employer
1860s
The contribution
How this work helped shape America
After purchasing her freedom, Elizabeth Keckley established a successful dressmaking enterprise in Washington, D.C. Her skill attracted prominent clients, and by 1865 her business employed nearly 20 women, making her an important example of Black American skilled entrepreneurship and employment creation.