Family and Childhood
Elizabeth Van Lew was born into a prominent family in Richmond, Virginia. She was the only daughter of John Van Lew, who was the owner of a sucessful hardware store. Elizabeth was always very close to her mother, and after her father died, she even convinced her mother to set the family's slaves free! She was schooled in Philadelphia and later returned to Virginia as a strong abolitionist, determined to fight slavery in the south. Throughout her life, she appeared to others as a crazy and eccentric person which led to the nickname, "Crazy Bet."
Elizabeth had high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and curly brown hair. She also had intelligent looking blue eyes. Some thought her features attributed to her intelligence and cunning personality.
Although most took her for a crazy woman, she was actually sly and very smart. She had created the crazy, fake persona so that no one would ever think that she was a traitor to the Confederacy, and a Union spy.
Elizabeth had high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and curly brown hair. She also had intelligent looking blue eyes. Some thought her features attributed to her intelligence and cunning personality.
Although most took her for a crazy woman, she was actually sly and very smart. She had created the crazy, fake persona so that no one would ever think that she was a traitor to the Confederacy, and a Union spy.
