Clara Barton

"It irritates me to be told how things have always been done."

NURSE who founded the American Red Cross
Born Clarissa Harlowe Barton
FIRST woman to be hired as a clerk in the Washington, DC Patent Office
Took a leave of absence when the Civil War began, organizing the collection of much needed food, medicine, and clothes, and delivering them herself to the troops
Attended to injured soldiers on the front lines, earning the nickname, "Angel of the Battlefield"
Helped find thousands of missing soldiers
Publicized the wretched conditions at the Andersonville, GA prison
Introduced to the International Red Cross when she traveled to Europe during the Franco-Prussian War
Returned to the U.S. and convinced the government to sign the Geneva Convention, establishing an American branch of the Red Cross
Served as president of the American Red Cross for 22 years, but was forced to resign amid controversy over her handling of the humanitarian effort in Cuba during the Spanish-American War
Also a vocal feminist, she advocated for women's political and economic rights, and was often labeled volatile and emotional by her critics

Photo by Mathew Brady [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography: Carrillo, Elisa A. "Barton, Clara." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, 2008, p. 205.
Doyle, Caitlin. Girls Can Do Anything: From Sports to Innovation, Art to Politics, Meet Over 200 Women Who Got There First. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2016. Print.
Harvey, Joy and Marilyn B. Ogilvie. "Barton, Clara Harlowe." Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science, Vol. 1, Routledge, 2000, p. 86.
Rissman, Rebecca. Women in War. Minneapolis: Abdo Publishing, 2017. Print.

Support these organizations dedicated to preserving her story & mission:

American Red Cross
Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum
Clara Barton Birthplace Museum

Books by this Awesome Woman

A Story of the Red Cross Glimpses of Field Work

Biographies for Kids and Young Adults

(picture book)

(graphic novel format)

Childhood of Famous Americans: Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross

Clara Barton: Spirit of the American Red Cross

Research

A Woman of Valor: Clara Barton and the Civil War

Clara Barton's Civil War: Between Bullet and Hospital

Historical Fiction

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