Mary Seacole saved countless lives as a nurse in the Crimean War, with her โBritish Hotelโ providing rest and treatment for injured soldiers. Seacole grew up in Jamaica under colonial rule, where she learned to nurse by helping her mother take care of British soldiers using traditional Caribbean herbal remedies.
Her father was Scottish, and Mary took pride in both her British and Jamaican heritage. However, Seacole experienced racism from many in Britain due to her dual heritage.
When war broke out in Crimea (in modern-day Ukraine), Seacole volunteered to work as a nurse with Florence Nightingale, but was rejected because of discrimination against her heritage. Seacole was determined, so she set up her own Crimean War hospital using money she had made as a merchant.
After the war, Seacole had very little money left. However, thousands of grateful soldiers helped to raise funds for her as thanks for her lifesaving work.
In a 2003 poll, Mary Seacole was named the greatest Black Briton of all time.