For famous Americans I would like to study Helen Keller. I

would like to study Helen Keller because even though she was blind, deaf and could not speak she pushed all of that away and became one of the 20^th

 century’s leading humanitarians.  I think it would be interesting to study

Helen Keller because I would like to learn more about her childhood and how

she learned to live with her disabilities.  I would also like to learn more about

her career. That is why I would like to study Helen Keller for my famous

Americans project.

Click here for more infomation

Listen to an Interview with Helen Keller

On June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia Alabama, Katie Keller and Captain Arthur H. Keller had a baby girl named Helen Adam’s Keller. Little did they know she would grow up to be one of the 20^th century’s

leading humanitarians. But before she did she would have to face obstacles and challenges.

           At the age of six months old Helen began to speak words clearly,   then on Helen’s first birthday she took her first steps. Sadly not long after that Helen began to have a high fever.  She also had a bad headache and stiff neck. After a couple of days her fever left as fast as it came.

Then she began to lose her sight and hearing. By the time Helen was 18 months old she had lost all of her sight and ability to hear. Helens life began to become night all the time and how she would always wonder why day never came.

A few years later Helens father took Helen to meet Alexander Graham Bell he was a man that worked with the blind and deaf.  He told Helens father to write to the Perkins institution for the blind (opened in 1831.)  It was the first school for the blind in America. Michael Anagnos the president of the school wrote back saying he had someone in mind to teach Helen, Anne Sullivan.  Anne agreed to go teach Helen.  A few months later Anne arrived at the Keller’s house. 

Not long after Anne arrived she asked Helens parents if they could live in the small house next door to Helens family so that it would be easier to teach Helen. Anne and Helen lived in that house for many years. by the time Helen was ready to go to collage she could almost do everything that some one that was not blind or death could do. Thanks to Anne.          

After Helen’s high school days she decided to go to Radcliffe college. At college she wanted to be treated the same as every other person there.  Helen was the first deaf-blind to ever attend an American college.

After college Helen and Anne bought a house in wretham Massachusetts.  When living in the house she wrote two books with John Macy a writer john Macy later on be came husband to Anne. Then Helen became vaudeville and made thousands of dollars.  She asked for money for schools for the blind at her shows. 

In the October of 1936 Helen’s companion Anne died. Many people wondered what Helen would do and Helen said she would fulfill all her dreams and her life would be no different.  But she tried to hide the whole in her heart after Anne died.  Helen then traveled around the world she met many woned soldiers.  Helen also met all the presidents from Gove clever land to John F Kennedy. She later on moved to a house with Polly Thomson.  But a few years later Polly died.  Then Winnie corbally became Helen’s companion. 

When Helen was 82 a popular movie called the miracle worker presented the story Helen’s early life.  When Helen was in her 70’s a friend asked her “Do you believe in life after death?” “most certainly,” Helen Declared “It is no more that passing off from one room to another.”  Then Helen added.  “But there’s a difference for me, you know. Because in that room I will be able to see.”  On June 1^st 1968 Helen died and went to that other room.