Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole

Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale

(1) Read Mary Seacole. Give two reasons why Mary Seacole's offer of help at the beginning of the Crimean War was rejected.

(2) Read Florence Nightingale. Describe the conditions at the army hospital in Scutari.

(3) Read Mary Seacole. Study sources A4 and A5. What methods did Mary Seacole use to deal with diseases such as cholera?

(4) Read Mary Seacole. How does source A6 help to explain the events being described in source A7?

(5) Read Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. Explain how and why Mary Seacole's experiences during the Crimean War differed from those of Florence Nightingale.

(6) In 1856 a British soldier wrote to The Times complaining that while Florence Nightingale had become famous, the contribution made by Mary Seacole was in danger of being forgotten. She has not been forgotten but there is definitely more information about Florence Nightingale than Mary Seacole in school textbooks. Can you give any reasons for this?

Mary Seacole: Specimen Question from Edexcel (1988)

(1) Read Mary Seacole. What can you learn about Mary Seacole's work from sources S4 and S13? (3)

(2) Study sources S4, S6, S7 and S13. Mary Seacole was hoping to raise money by publishing her life story. Does her account of her work (S4) seem exaggerated? Use sources S4, S6, S7 and S13 to explain your answer. (5)

(3) Study sources S6 and S7. Source S7 is from a family letter. Is it more valuable or less valuable than source S6 for an enquiry into Mary Seacole's work in the Crimea? Use both sources to explain your answer. (5)

(4) Study sources S8 and S9. How does source S9 help you to understand source S8? Explain your answer. (4)

(5) Study all the sources in this unit. Choose two sources which show that Mary Seacole was famous in her own time. Which of the two sources you have chosen gives the stronger evidence that she was famous in her own time? Use both sources to explain your answer. (6)

(6) Why was Mary Seacole so famous in her own time? (7)

(7) Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale were both famous in their own time. Why is Florence Nightingale's work in the Crimea better known today than Mary Seacole's work? Use the sources, and your own knowledge, to explain your answer. (10)

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