In 1819, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was born as a slave in Natchez, Mississippi. She had few reasons to fantasize about the life that would become her own.
She became known as the first African American singer to become famous in both the United States and Europe as a result of a series of strange events and her own hard work.
A Quaker who had freed her slaves took the young Elizabeth to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, long before she became famous.
Elizabeth kept working as a maid and friend for the Mistress who had given her the name. She also put on shows for the older people who came to visit her.
After her mistress died, Greenfield worked as a performer for both public and private events to make money.
Greenfield’s performances soon made her known all over the Northeast. “The Black Swan” was a name for her.
Greenfield went to England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1853 as part of a tour of Europe. After a shady manager left her in London with no money, Greenfield took matters into her own hands.
Elizabeth met Harriet Beecher Stowe, a well-known American woman who was also visiting London. With Stowe’s assistance, Greenfield was soon putting on shows for England’s upper crust.
She sang for Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace before returning to the United States.
Elizabeth Greenfield spoke alongside Frederick Douglass and Frances E.W. Harper during the Civil War.
She also traveled across the country to raise funds for “colored” elderly people and orphanages. Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield passed away on March 31, 1876, in Philadelphia.