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The name of a British nurse, Florence Nightingale, is well-known all over the world. She is famous for her selfless work during the Crimean War in the middle of the 19th century. However, the name of another nurse, Mary Seacole, who was called ‘the black Florence Nightingale’, is unfairly forgotten. Mary was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1805. Her father was a Scottish officer, and her mother was a free born black Jamaican woman. Mary’s mother kept a boarding house for invalid soldiers. Though Ma
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Though Mary’s mother had no formal education, she was a great expert in herbal remedies. She used herbs to cure sick and wounded soldiers. Mary learnt a lot from her. In 1836, Mary married Edwin Seacole, an English officer. The couple travelled a lot. During their trips to the Bahamas, Haiti, and Cuba, Mary discovered some new effective remedies the local people used for cholera and fever. After her husband’s death in 1844, Mary gained further nursing experience during a cholera epidemic in Pana
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in Panama. After returning to Jamaica, she cared for yellow fever victims. Though Mary had never had any formal qualifications, her fame as a medical practitioner grew. She learned everything through practice and soon even carried out operations on people with knife and gunshot wounds.
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In 1853 the Crimean War started. Mary offered her services as a volunteer nurse but her application was rejected due to prejudice against women, especially black women. So Mary decided to go to the Crimea on her own and at her own expense. Mary started up a business called the British Hotel, that others referred to as “Mrs Seacole’s Hut”. It was only a few miles from the battlefront
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“Mrs Seacole’s Hut” operated as a general store, a restaurant and a hotel. Here she sold food and medicines and ran a canteen for the soldiers. She often provided free medicines to soldiers who were not able to pay. Mary regularly went out to the front line to help the wounded soldiers, often putting her own life in danger. She treated wounded soldiers from both sides and often did it while the battle was still going on.
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When the war was finished, Mary came back to London as a famous person. But she was completely bankrupt. The British newspapers started a public campaign to raise money for her. The mass media’s initiative was supported by the Royal family, British officers and soldiers. Mary was rescued from poverty. In 1857 Mary Seacole wrote her autobiography called ‘The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands’. The book was the first travel memoirs ever published by a black woman. It became a best
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It became a bestseller and the income allowed Mary Seacole to live the rest of her life in comfort in London, until her death in 1881. Sadly, Mary Seacole was completely forgotten after her death. However, in recent years there has been a renewed interest in her life and her achievements.
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Mary was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1805. Her father was a Scottish officer, and her mother was a free born black Jamaican woman. Mary’s mother kept a boarding house for invalid soldiers. Though Ma
In 1836, Mary married Edwin Seacole, an English officer. The couple travelled a lot. During their trips to the Bahamas, Haiti, and Cuba, Mary discovered some new effective remedies the local people used for cholera and fever. After her husband’s death in 1844, Mary gained further nursing experience during a cholera epidemic in Pana
Mary started up a business called the British Hotel, that others referred to as “Mrs Seacole’s Hut”. It was only a few miles from the battlefront
Mary regularly went out to the front line to help the wounded soldiers, often putting her own life in danger. She treated wounded soldiers from both sides and often did it while the battle was still going on.
In 1857 Mary Seacole wrote her autobiography called ‘The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands’. The book was the first travel memoirs ever published by a black woman. It became a best
Sadly, Mary Seacole was completely forgotten after her death. However, in recent years there has been a renewed interest in her life and her achievements.