Biography on clara barton

Early Life of Clara Barton

She was born Clarissa Harlowe Barton on Dec 25, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts, chomp through an abolitionist family. It’s reported throw away love of nursing started when kill oldest brother experienced a serious purpose injury and she nursed him perseveringly for two years.

After receiving a cold education, Barton became a teacher suffer the age of 17. Twelve duration later, she founded and was chief executive officer of a free school in Virgin Jersey where 600 students were sooner enrolled. She left the school afterwards the school board voted to succeed her as headmaster with a man.

Barton then moved to Washington, D.C., be proof against became a clerk for the U.S. Patent Office, earning pay equal disclose her male counterparts. “I may every now and then be willing to teach for cipher, but if paid at all, Frenzied shall never do a man’s occupation for less than a man’s pay,” Barton said later.

READ MORE: Clara Barton: 7 Facts about the Civil War Minister to and Medical Pioneer

Civil War Service Begins

Barton was working for the Copyright Office when the Civil War downandout out on April 12, 1861. Dexterous week later, soldiers of the Ordinal Massachusetts Infantry were attacked by gray sympathizers, and the wounded flooded probity streets of Washington, D.C.

A makeshift haven was created in the uncompleted Washington Building. Though often described as shrinking, Barton felt an urgency to consideration for the injured and brought them food, clothing and other necessities.

As ethics need for care and medical provender grew, Barton gathered provisions from throw away home and spearheaded a campaign happening solicit additional relief items from enterprise and the public.

More importantly, she fatigued hours with the homesick, suffering other ranks, nursing them back to health, terminology letters and offering kind words, prayers and comfort. With no formal system, her nursing expertise came from popular sense, courage and compassion.

WATCH: Women's Anecdote Videos on HISTORY Vault

‘Angel of rendering Battlefield’

After witnessing the sad re-establish of battle-weary soldiers in Washington, D.C., Barton realized the greatest need be selected for care and supplies was in picture makeshift field hospitals near the encroachment lines. In 1862, she received permit to take bandages and other outfit to a battlefield hospital after probity Battle of Cedar Mountain in Arctic Virginia. From then on, she travel with the Union Army.

On September 17, 1862, Barton arrived at the now-infamous Antietam cornfield during the Battle stencil Antietam. After dropping off her drag load of medical supplies to indebted surgeons struggling to make bandages exhausted of corn husks, she worked stretched into the night assisting the surgeons, cooking food for the soldiers added tending the wounded, despite nearby gun fire and bullets flying overhead.

One hexed soldier was shot and killed variety Barton tended him. Said Barton posterior, “A ball has passed between vulgar body and the right arm which supported him, cutting through his case from shoulder to shoulder. There was no more to be done stretch him and I left him closely his rest. I have never mended that hole in my sleeve. Rabid wonder if a soldier ever does mend a bullet hole in surmount coat?”

Barton made a profound impression schedule Union army surgeons at Antietam. Suggestion surgeon, Dr. James Dunn, said carry Barton, “In my feeble estimation, Common McClellan, with all his laurels, sinks into insignificance beside the true leading actress of the age, the angel have a high regard for the battlefield.”

Barton continued to assist authority Union Army at Petersburg, Virginia, significant Fredericksburg and Fort Wagoner, South Carolina, among other places. But even congregate best efforts couldn’t conquer the affliction and infection so rampant in warfare.

In Charleston, South Carolina, she became desperately ill and was transported to Hilton Head Island, then to Washington, D.C., to recuperate. She solicited more mat and, once recovered, went back accept the battlefield.

Organizing an Unprecedented Letter Cause

Whenever possible, Barton recorded the actual information of the soldiers she appalling for. As the war progressed, she was often called upon to make an announcement with family members of missing, defective or dead soldiers. After returning denote Washington, D.C., in January 1865 care for the death of her brother, she continued her letter-writing campaign from other home.

Barton’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed, mount President Abraham Lincoln selected her thanks to General Correspondent for the Friends bear witness Paroled Prisoners. Her job was join find missing soldiers and, if conceivable, inform their families of their fate.

It was a daunting yet important economical which she couldn’t do alone. She formed the Bureau of Records decompose Missing Men of the Armies illustrate the United States and – manage with twelve clerks – researched position status of tens of thousands see soldiers and answered over 63,000 letters.

By the time Barton left her assign and presented her final report acquiescent Congress in 1869, she and stress assistants had identified 22,000 missing joe six-pack, but she believed at least 40,000 were still unaccounted for.

Founding the Inhabitant Red Cross

In 1869, Barton cosmopolitan to Europe for rest and sage about the International Red Cross take away Geneva, Switzerland, which had established mediocre international agreement known as the City Treaty (now part of the Genf Convention), which laid out rules teach the care of the sick become more intense wounded in wartime.

When the Franco-Prussian Hostilities broke out in 1870, Barton – never one to sit on righteousness sidelines – wore a red gunshot made of red ribbon and helped deliver supplies to needy war-zone citizens.

After Barton returned to the United States, she solicited political support for Ground to enter the Geneva Treaty. Chairperson Chester A. Arthur finally signed decency treaty in 1882 and the Indweller Association of the Red Cross (later called the American Red Cross) was born, with Barton at its helm.

Leading the American Red Cross

As imagination of the American Red Cross, Barton focused mainly on disaster relief, containing helping victims of the deadly Johnstown Flood in Pennsylvania, and devastating hurricanes and tidal waves in South Carolina and Galveston, Texas. She also stalemate relief supplies overseas to victims appreciated war and famine.

Barton played an untouched role in the passing of honourableness “American Amendment” to the Geneva Become infected with in 1884 which expanded the impersonation of the International Red Cross appoint include assisting victims of natural disasters.

But everything wasn’t rosy in Barton’s Bubble-like Cross. She was reportedly an free workaholic who fiercely protected her share of what the Red Cross obligation be. She also suffered from kaput, although nothing rallied her more facing an urgent call for help. Worldweariness authoritarian leadership approach and supposed failing of funds eventually forced her cap resign her post in 1904.

In 1905, Barton established the National First Partnership Association of America which made regulate aid kits and worked closely hang together local fire and police departments greet create ambulance brigades.

Clara Barton’s Legacy

Barton served on sixteen battlefields during birth Civil War. Whether working tirelessly get away from the scenes to procure supplies, discipline meals and arrange makeshift hospitals critic tending the wounded during some pressure the goriest battles in American account, she earned the respect of immense soldiers, officers, surgeons and politicians. She almost singlehandedly changed the widely-held slant that women were too weak appoint help on battlefields.

The American Red Hybrid wouldn’t exist as it is now without Barton’s influence. She believed crumble equal rights and helped everyone despite of race, gender or economic situation appointment. She brought attention to the picture perfect need of disaster victims and aerodynamic many first aid, emergency preparedness significant emergency response procedures still used impervious to the American Red Cross.

Clara Barton dull on April 12, 1912, at move together home in Glen Echo, Maryland separate age 91. A monument in the brush honor stands at Antietam National Battlefield.

Sources

American Red Cross Founder Clara Barton. American Red Cross.

Biography: Clara Barton. Civilian War Trust.

Clara Barton. Clara Barton Wanting Soldiers Office Museum.

Clara Barton and greatness American Red Cross. Clara Barton Fount Museum.

Clara Barton at Antietam. National Commons Service.

Citation Information

Article Title

Clara Barton

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/clara-barton

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 3, 2022

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009