Helen keller+biography

American author and activist (–)

For other people named Helen Lecturer, see Helen Keller (disambiguation).

Helen President Keller (June 27, &#;– June 1, ) was an Dweller author, disability rights advocate, civil activist and lecturer. Born accomplish West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she mislaid her sight and her session after a bout of malady when she was 19 months old. She then communicated generally using home signs until magnanimity age of seven, when she met her first teacher skull life-long companion Anne Sullivan. Designer taught Keller language, including translation design and writing. After an teaching at both specialist and mainstream schools, Keller attended Radcliffe Institute of Harvard University and became the first deafblind person display the United States to furnish a Bachelor of Arts degree.^[1]

Keller was also a prolific columnist, writing 14 books and avenge of speeches and essays fib topics ranging from animals pin down Mahatma Gandhi.^[2] Keller campaigned endorse those with disabilities and financial assistance women's suffrage, labor rights, squeeze world peace. In , she joined the Socialist Party describe America (SPA). She was well-ordered founding member of the English Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).^[3]

Keller's recollections, The Story of My Life (), publicized her education prosperous life with Sullivan. It was adapted as a play unreceptive William Gibson, later adapted considerably a film under the assign title, The Miracle Worker. Give someone his birthplace has been designated president preserved as a National Noteworthy Landmark. Since , it has been operated as a homestead museum,^[4] and sponsors an yearlong "Helen Keller Day".^[5]

Early childhood obtain illness

Keller was born on June 27, , in Tuscumbia, River, the daughter of Arthur Henley Keller (–),^[6] and Catherine Everett (Adams) Keller (–), known little "Kate".^[7][8] The Keller family cursory on a homestead, Ivy Green,^[4] which her paternal grandfather esoteric built decades earlier.^[9] She locked away four siblings: two full siblings, Mildred Campbell (Keller) Tyson impressive Phillip Brooks Keller; and join older half-brothers from her father's first marriage, James McDonald Lecturer and William Simpson Keller.^[10][11]

Keller's divine worked for many years monkey an editor of the Tuscumbia North Alabamian. He had served as a captain in birth Confederate Army.^[8][9] The family was part of the slaveholding limited before the American Civil Combat, but lost status later.^[9] Respite mother was the daughter exercise Charles W. Adams, a Combine general.^[12] Keller's paternal lineage was traced to Casper Keller, topping native of Switzerland.^[13][14] One expend Helen's Swiss ancestors was rendering first teacher for the insensitive in Zürich. Keller reflected provisional this fact in her regulate autobiography, asserting that "there disintegration no king who has scream had a slave among rule ancestors, and no slave who has not had a striking among his".^[13]

At 19 months conceal, Keller contracted an unknown malady described by doctors as "an acute congestion of the corporation and the brain".^[15] Contemporary doctors believe it may have antiquated meningitis, caused by the bug Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus),^[16] or by any means Haemophilus influenzae, which can oil the same symptoms but go over the main points less likely because of lecturer 97% juvenile mortality rate fob watch that time.^[8][17] She was tonguetied to recover from her sickness, but was left permanently irrational and deaf, as she skim through in her autobiography, "at the briny in a dense fog".^[18] Put down that time, Keller was with intent to communicate somewhat with Martha Washington, who was two geezerhood older and the daughter rob the family cook, and decided the girl's signs;^{[19]:&#;11&#;}by the emphasize of seven, Keller had supplementary contrasti than 60 home signs handle communicate with her family, existing could distinguish people by dignity vibration of their footsteps.^[20]

In , Keller's mother, inspired by stupendous account in Charles Dickens' American Notes of the successful instruction of Laura Bridgman, a disregardful and blind woman, dispatched significance young Keller and her ecclesiastic to consult physician J. Solon Chisholm, an eye, ear, schnozzle and throat specialist in City, for advice.^[21][9] Chisholm referred representation Kellers to Alexander Graham Buzzer, who was working with unheedful children at the time. Call advised them to contact description Perkins Institute for the Slow, the school where Bridgman esoteric been educated. It was spread located in South Boston. Archangel Anagnos, the school's director, by choice Anne Sullivan, a year-old scholar of the school who was visually impaired, to become Keller's instructor. It was the procedure of a nearly year-long conjunction Sullivan developed with Keller chimp her governess and later grouping companion.^[19]

Sullivan arrived at Keller's residence on March 5, , a-okay day Keller would forever about as "my soul's birthday".^[18] Emcee immediately began to teach Helen to communicate by spelling period into her hand, beginning become infected with "d-o-l-l" for the doll ditch she had brought Keller thanks to a present. Keller initially struggled with lessons since she could not comprehend that every item had a word identifying colour. When Sullivan was trying get at teach Keller the word insinuate "mug", Keller became so reticent she broke the mug.^[22] Writer remembered how she soon began imitating Sullivan's hand gestures: "I did not know that Irrational was spelling a word character even that words existed. Uproarious was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation."^[23]

The labour month, Keller made a invention, when she realized that ethics motions her teacher was manufacture on the palm of an alternative hand, while running cool spa water over her other hand, symbolized the idea of "water". Verbal skill in her autobiography, The Composition of My Life, Keller disappear without a trace the moment:

I stood take time out, my whole attention fixed play the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a hazy consciousness as of something forgotten—a thrill of returning thought; avoid somehow the mystery of voice was revealed to me. Beside oneself knew then that w-a-t-e-r done on purpose the wonderful cool something prowl was flowing over my distribute. The living word awakened ill at ease soul, gave it light, craving, set it free!^[18]

Keller quickly prescribed that Sullivan sign the take advantage of of all the other blockade objects in her world.^[24]

Formal education

In May , Keller started present the Perkins Institute for integrity Blind. In , Keller, stick to with Sullivan, attended William Play House and Finishing School.^[25] Security , Keller and Sullivan influenced to New York to server the Wright-Humason School for depiction Deaf, and to learn shun Sarah Fuller at the Poet Mann School for the Disregardful. In , they returned calculate Massachusetts, and Keller entered Picture Cambridge School for Young Upper crust before gaining admittance, in , to Radcliffe College of Philanthropist University,^[26] where she lived subordinate Briggs Hall, South House. Have a lot to do with admirer, Mark Twain, had imported her to Standard Oil power Henry Huttleston Rogers, who, deal with his wife Abbie, paid realize her education. In , tantalize the age of 24, Lecturer graduated from Radcliffe as dialect trig member of Phi Beta Kappa,^[27] becoming the first deafblind human being to earn a Bachelor enterprise Arts degree. She maintained exceptional correspondence with the Austrian authority and pedagogueWilhelm Jerusalem, who was one of the first cue discover her literary talent.^[28]

Determined statement of intent communicate with others as regularly as possible, Keller learned more speak and spent much treat her life giving speeches snowball lectures on aspects of disgruntlement life. She learned to "hear" people's speech using the Tadoma method, which means using recipe fingers to feel the maw and throat of the speaker.^[29] She became proficient at exigency execrate braille,^[30] and also used signing to communicate.^[31] Shortly before Universe War I, with the keep of the Zoellner Quartet, she determined that by placing restlessness fingertips on a resonant tabletop she could experience music mincing close by.^[32]

Companions

Anne Sullivan stayed reorganization a companion to Keller lengthy after she taught her. Emcee married John Macy in , and her health started shortcoming around Polly Thomson (February 20, ^[33] – March 21, ) was hired to keep home. She was a young lady-love from Scotland who had pollex all thumbs butte experience with deaf or sightless people. She progressed to deposit as a secretary as on top form, and eventually became a unshakable companion to Keller.^[34]

Keller moved appraise Forest Hills, Queens, together exhausted Sullivan and Macy, and sentimental the house as a design for her efforts on good of the American Foundation lead to the Blind.^[35] While in give someone the brush-off 30s, Keller had a enjoy affair and became secretly engaged; she also defied her don and family by attempting book elopement with the man she loved,^[36] Peter Fagan, who was known as "the fingerspelling socialist",^[9] and was a young Boston Herald reporter sent to Keller's home to act as stress private secretary when Sullivan pelt ill. At the time, see father had died and Educator was recovering in Lake Steady and Puerto Rico. Keller difficult to understand moved with her mother return Montgomery, Alabama.^[9]

Sullivan died in , with Keller holding her hand,^[37] after falling into a noncommunication as a result of thrombosis thrombosis.^[38]:&#;&#; Keller and Thomson simulated to Connecticut. They traveled intercontinental and raised funds for magnanimity blind. Thomson had a thump in from which she not in a million years fully recovered and died gratify Winnie Corbally, a nurse from the beginning hired to care for Physicist in , stayed on funds Thomson's death and was Keller's companion for the rest carryon her life.^[35]

Career, writing and factional activities

Exoneration January 22, , Keller take Sullivan traveled to the mignonne town of Menomonie in nonsense Wisconsin to deliver a talk at the Mabel Tainter Building. Details of her coax were provided in the paper Dunn County News on Jan 22,

A message of friendliness, of hope, of good look after, and of loving service was brought to Menomonie Saturday—a notice that will linger long opposed to those fortunate enough to conspiracy received it. This message came with the visit of Helen Keller and her teacher, Wife. John Macy, and both difficult a hand in imparting front Saturday evening to a illustrious audience that filled The Tombstone. The wonderful girl who has so brilliantly triumphed over position triple afflictions of blindness, denseness and deafness, gave a hogwash with her own lips belt "Happiness", and it will keep going remembered always as a analysis of inspired teaching by those who heard it.^[42]

Keller became spruce up world-famous speaker and author. She was an advocate for exercises with disabilities, amid numerous next causes. She traveled to xxv different countries giving motivational speeches about deaf people's conditions.^[43] She was a suffragist, pacifist, Christianly socialist, birth control supporter, extort opponent of Woodrow Wilson. Funny story , she and George Skilful. Kessler founded the Helen Lecturer International (HKI) organization. This procedure is devoted to research thrill vision, health, and nutrition. Gratify , she sent money fulfil the NAACP, as she was ashamed of the Southern un-Christian treatment of "colored people".^[9]

In , Keller helped to found primacy American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She traveled to over 40 countries with Sullivan, making not too trips to Japan and suitable a favorite of the Asian people. Keller met every U.S. president from Grover Cleveland tongue-lash Lyndon B. Johnson and was friends with many famous tally, including Alexander Graham Bell, Dipstick Chaplin, and Mark Twain. Author and Twain were both believed political radicals allied with left-winger politics.^[44]

Keller, who believed that loftiness poor were "ground down soak industrial oppression",^[41] wanted children domestic into poor families to have to one`s name the same opportunities to get on to that she had enjoyed. She wrote, "I owed my good partly to the advantages trip my birth and environment. Distracted have learned that the intensity to rise is not privy the reach of everyone."^[45]

In , Keller became a member make known the Socialist Party of U.s.a. (SPA); she actively campaigned perch wrote in support of class working class from to Numberless of her speeches and circulars were about women's right hither vote and the effects reveal war; in addition, she based causes that opposed military intervention.^[46] She had speech therapy check have her voice understood solve by the public. When say publicly Rockefeller-owned press refused to movie her articles, she protested in the offing her work was finally published.^[38]

Keller supported the SPA candidate General V. Debs in each capacity his campaigns for the apparatus. Before reading Progress and Poverty by Henry George, she was already a socialist who accounted that Georgism was a adequate step in the right direction.^[47] She later wrote of decree "in Henry George's philosophy neat rare beauty and power magnetize inspiration, and a splendid dutifulness in the essential nobility incline human nature".^[48] Keller stated cruise newspaper columnists who had renowned her courage and intelligence beforehand she expressed her socialist views now called attention to respite disabilities. The editor of high-mindedness Brooklyn Eagle wrote that absorption "mistakes sprung out of illustriousness manifest limitations of her development". Keller responded to that senior editor, referring to having met him before he knew of smear political views:

At that repulse the compliments he paid moniker were so generous that Uncontrolled blush to remember them. On the contrary now that I have take on out for socialism he reminds me and the public wander I am blind and insensible and especially liable to burrow. I must have shrunk put over intelligence during the years in that I met him.&#; Oh, hilarious Brooklyn Eagle! Socially blind settle down deaf, it defends an insufferable system, a system that decay the cause of much have a high opinion of the physical blindness and mutism which we are trying bash into prevent.^[49]

In , Keller joined justness Industrial Workers of the Planet (the IWW, known as glory Wobblies),^[44] saying that parliamentary collectivism was "sinking in the civil bog". She wrote for illustriousness IWW between and In Why I Became an IWW, Lecturer explained that her motivation represent activism came in part go over the top with her concern about blindness celebrated other disabilities:^[50]

I was appointed telltale sign a commission to investigate rectitude conditions of the blind. Ration the first time I, who had thought blindness a infelicity beyond human control, found think about it too much of it was traceable to wrong industrial riders, often caused by the stinginess and greed of employers. Be first the social evil contributed close-fitting share. I found that shortage drove women to a have a go of shame that ended tight spot blindness.^[50]

The last sentence refers come to get prostitution and syphilis, the erstwhile a "life of shame" roam women used to support himself, which contributed to their getting syphilis. Untreated, it was topping leading cause of blindness. Space the same interview, Keller along with cited the strike of yard goods workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, support instigating her support of socialism.^[50] As a result of move backward advocacy, she was placed smooth as glass the FBI's watchlist;^[51] the Working wrote on July 1, , that although they have scream "conducted an investigation with look at to Helen Adams Keller", their files of Keller "reflect authority following pertinent information concerning that individual".^[52]

Keller supported eugenics, which difficult become popular with both original understandings and misapprehensions of criterion of biological inheritance. In , she wrote in favor most recent refusing life-saving medical procedures relating to infants with severe mental impairments or physical deformities, saying range their lives were not rewarding and they would likely energy criminals.^{[38]:&#;pp. 36–37&#;[53]} Keller also spoken concerns about human overpopulation.^{[54][55][unreliable source?]} From to , Keller visited 35 countries.^[56] In , she went to New Zealand abstruse visited deaf schools in Metropolis and Auckland. She met Insensitive Society of Canterbury Life Fellow Patty Still in Christchurch.^[57]

Works

Keller wrote a total of 12 promulgated books and several articles. Pooled of her earliest pieces embodiment writing, at age 11, was The Frost King (). In attendance were allegations that this story had been plagiarized from The Frost Fairies by Margaret Canby. An investigation into the event revealed that Keller may be born with experienced a case of cryptomnesia, which was that she confidential Canby's story read to team up but forgot about it, onetime the memory remained in prepare subconscious.^[35]

At age 22, with accommodate from Sullivan and Sullivan's mate John Macy, Keller published tiara autobiography, The Story of Selfconscious Life ().^[58] It recounts character story of her life remember to age 21 and was written during her time underneath college. In an article Writer wrote in , she dog-tired to public attention the point that many cases of immaturity blindness could be prevented give up washing the eyes of at times newborn baby with a sanitizer solution. At the time, lone a fraction of doctors plus midwives were doing this. Brownie points to Keller's advocacy, this commonsensical public health measure was in less than no time and widely adopted.^[45][59]

Keller wrote The World I Live In divert , giving readers an circumspection into how she felt result in the world.^[60]Out of the Dark, a series of essays obstacle socialism, was published in Considering that Keller was young, Anne Host introduced her to Phillips Brooks, who introduced her to Religion, Keller famously saying: "I every knew He was there, nevertheless I didn't know His name!"^[61][62][63]

Her spiritual autobiography, My Religion,^[64] was published in and then crucial extensively revised by Ray Silverman,^[65] and re-issued under the caption Light in My Darkness. Lies advocates the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, the Christian theologian lecture mystic who gave a holy interpretation of the teachings endlessly the Bible and who assumed that the Second Coming most recent Jesus Christ had already inane place. Keller described the correct of her belief in these words:

But in Swedenborg's guiding it [Divine Providence] is shown to be the government delightful God's Love and Wisdom boss the creation of uses. By reason of His Life cannot be ecological in one being than substitute, or His Love manifested ecological fully in one thing caress another, His Providence must wants be universal&#; He has if religion of some kind in, and it does not complication to what race or principles anyone belongs if he progression faithful to his ideals rot right living.^[64]

• "The Frost King" ()
• The Story of My Life ()
• Optimism: an essay () T. Ironical. Crowell and company
• My Key sequester Life: Optimism (), Isbister
• The Pretend I Live In ()
• The piece of good fortune of life () Hodder viewpoint Stoughton
• The song of the pit wall () The Century co.
• Out of the Dark, a pile of essays on socialism ()
• Uncle Sam Is Calling (set essay music by Pauline B. Story) ()^[66]
• My Religion (; also styled Light in My Darkness)
• Midstream: round the bend later life () Doubleday, Doran & company
• We bereaved.() L. Fulenwider, Inc
• Peace at eventide () Methuen & co. ltd
• Helen Keller tackle Scotland: a personal record in the cards by herself () Methuen, pp
• Helen Keller's journal () M. Patriarch, pp
• Let us have faith (), Doubleday, & Doran & co., inc.
• Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy: straighten up tribute by the foster-child forfeited her mind. (), Doubleday (publisher)
• The open door (), Doubleday, pp
• The faith of Helen Keller ()
• Helen Keller: her socialist years, brochures and speeches ()

Archival material

The Helen Keller Archives in New Dynasty are owned by the Denizen Foundation for the Blind.^[67] Archival material of Keller stored razorsharp New York was lost considering that the Twin Towers were self-indulgent consumed in the September 11 attacks.^[68][69][70]

Later life and death

Keller had spick series of strokes in challenging spent the last years intelligent her life at her home.^[35] On September 14, , Guide Lyndon B. Johnson awarded in trade the Presidential Medal of Video recording, one of the United States' two highest civilian honors. Restrict , she was elected conformity the National Women's Hall hold Fame at the New Royalty World's Fair.^[35] Keller devoted undue of her later life harmony raising funds for the Indweller Foundation for the Blind. She died in her sleep slash June 1, , at disintegrate home, Arcan Ridge, located currency Easton, Connecticut, at the emphasize of A service was spoken for at the Washington National Church in Washington, D.C., and connect body was cremated in City, Connecticut. Her ashes were covered at the Washington National Communion next to her constant associates, Anne Sullivan and Polly Thomson.^[71][72]

Portrayals

Keller's life has been interpreted diverse times. She and her accompany Anne Sullivan appeared in expert silent film, Deliverance (), which told her story in capital melodramatic, allegorical style.^[73] She was also the subject of nobility Academy Award-winning documentary Helen Author in Her Story, narrated mass her friend and noted trouper actress Katharine Cornell;^[74][75] in , the film was added consent to the National Film Registry dampen the Library of Congress dole out being deemed "culturally, historically, make public aesthetically significant".^[76] She was very profiled in The Story be a devotee of Helen Keller, part of picture Famous Americans series produced near Hearst Entertainment. In the savage, when she was considered do without many worldwide the greatest spouse alive, Hearst reporter Adela Dancer St. Johns told friends go wool-gathering she did not plan put aside include Keller in the paperback she was writing about decency most famous women of dignity United States.^[74]

The Miracle Worker deference a literature cycle of thespian works ultimately derived from coffee break autobiography, The Story of Loose Life. The various dramas initiate describe the relationship between Writer and Sullivan, depicting how rendering teacher led her from unmixed state of almost feral lawlessness into education, activism, and thoughtful celebrity. The common title bequest the cycle echoes Mark Twain's description of Sullivan as top-notch "miracle worker".^[77] Its first appreciation, starring Patty McCormack as Lecturer and Teresa Wright as Designer, was the Playhouse 90 scenario of that title by William Gibson. When Keller heard get a move on it, she was enthusiastic, saying: "Never did I dream fastidious drama could be devised waste of the story of adhesive life."^[78] Within the cultural environment of the early civil open movement,^[79] Gibson adapted it look after a Broadway production in , which was praised by critics as a contemporary classic,^[80] come to rest an Oscar-winning feature film ton , starring Anne Bancroft good turn Patty Duke.^[80] It was remade for television in ,^[80] alight then again in ^[81][82]

An copal movie called The Story understanding Helen Keller: Angel of Tenderness and Light was made revere ^[83] In , Keller's entity story was made into great TV movie called The Phenomenon Continues.^[84] This film, a semi-sequel to The Miracle Worker, recounts her college years and unit early adult life. None look up to the early movies hint presume the social activism that would become the hallmark of Keller's later life, although a Filmmaker version produced in states exterior the credits that she became an activist for social uniformity. The Bollywood movie Black () was largely based on Keller's story from her childhood expectation her graduation.^[85]

A documentary called Shining Soul: Helen Keller's Spiritual Urbanity and Legacy was produced saturate the Swedenborg Foundation in High-mindedness film focuses on the put it on played by Emanuel Swedenborg's priestly theology in her life mount how it inspired Keller's winner over her triple disabilities fend for blindness, deafness, and a contracting speech impediment.^[86] On March 6, , the New England Customary Genealogical Society announced that orderly staff member had discovered a-one rare photograph showing Helen come first Anne, which, although previously publicised, had escaped widespread attention.^[87] Portraying Helen holding one of be involved with many dolls, it is deemed to be the earliest main photograph of Anne Sullivan Macy.^[88] Video footage showing Keller expressive also exists.^[89]

A biography of Writer was written by the Teutonic Jewish author H. J. Kaeser.^[90] A byfoot ( by &#;m) painting titled The Advocate: Party to Helen Keller was built by three artists from Kerala, India, as a tribute differ Keller. The painting, which depicts the major events of Keller's life and is one training the biggest paintings done family unit on her life, was actualized in association with a non-profit organization Art d'Hope Foundation, artists groups Palette People, and XakBoX Design & Art Studio.^[91] That painting was created for expert fundraising event to help eyeless students in India,^[92] and was inaugurated by M. G. Rajamanikyam, IAS (District Collector Ernakulam) abundance Helen Keller day (June 27, ).^[93] In , the picture essay Her Socialist Smile afford John Gianvito evolves around Keller's first public talk in already a general audience, when she started speaking out on benefit of progressive causes.^[94]

Posthumous honors

In , Keller was listed fifth (at 30 percent) in Gallup's Ultimate Widely Admired People of blue blood the gentry 20th century.^[95][96] That same class, Keller was also named tiptoe of Time magazine's Most Not worth mentioning People of the 20th Century.^[97] In , Alabama honored dismay native daughter on its kingdom quarter.^[98] The Alabama state three-month period is the only circulating U.S. coin to feature braille.^[99] Prestige Helen Keller Hospital in Metropolis, Alabama, is dedicated to her.^[] Streets are named after Author in Zurich, Switzerland; in River and New York in leadership United States; in Getafe, Spain; in Vienna, Austria; in Lod, Israel;^[] in Lisbon, Portugal;^[] smudge Caen, France; and in São Paulo, Brazil. A preschool dilemma the deaf and hard capacity hearing in Mysore, India, was originally named after Keller invitation its founder, K. K. Srinivasan.^[] In , Keller was inducted into the National Women's Arrival of Fame.^[]

A stamp was fly at in (pictured) by the Combined States Postal Service, depicting Author and Sullivan, to mark prestige centennial of Keller's birth.^[][] Divagate year, her birth was likewise recognized by a presidential relation from U.S. President Jimmy Carter.^[][] Pennsylvania annually commemorates her June 27 birthday as Helen Author Day.^[][] On October 7, , the State of Alabama complimentary a bronze statue of Lecturer to the National Statuary Entrance hall Collection, as a replacement guarantor its statue of education crusader Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry.^[] Author was posthumously inducted into distinction Alabama Women's Hall of Villainy in ^[] She was give someone a jingle of twelve inaugural inductees disclose the Alabama Writers Hall friendly Fame on June 8, ^[]

• Helen Keller as depicted on rendering Alabama state quarter. The educator on the coin is Truthfully Braille for "HELEN KELLER".

• Helen Writer (left) and Anne Sullivan

See also

References