Study sources L and M and use your own knowledge.
Do you agree with the view, expressed in source M that Mary Seacole was treated differently from Florence Nightingale because she was black?

Throughout her time helping soldiers in the Crimean War, May Seacole was admired for her skills as a nurse. On her return to England, her reputation was forgotten whilst Florence Nightingale was exalted. Source M implies that the differing treatment of these two women was as a result of racial prejudice: Mary Seacole was forgotten because of the colour of her skin. Source L attributes Mary’s different treatment to her behaviour and abilities as a nurse rather than the colour of her skin. Therefore, whilst the issue of race can not be ignored, I believe that Mary Seacole was simply seen as a less able nurse and thus was treated differently to Florence Nightingale.
Florence Nightingale (Source L) outlines a number of reasons why she would not provide Mary Seacole with a reference or employment during the Crimean War. She quotes ‘drunkenness’ and the rumour that Seacole ran a ‘bad house’ (i.e. brothel). Nightingale also implies that Seacole duped the Officers of the Army into believing that she cared for the soldiers and that Nightingale herself knew the truth. This is not explicitly about the colour of Mary’s skin. There seem to be questions over Seacole’s ability as a nurse. In a time when nursing was becoming increasingly professional, concerns might well have been raised over the less formal training Seacole received in Jamaica as a child and could result in the belief of Nightingale that Seacole would demonstrate ‘improper conduct’. These attitudes may have been influenced by societal attitudes towards race but there were massive differences in the ways that these two nurses conducted their care and treatment of the men. Nightgale was clinical and tackled infection and