Clara Barton: A Woman who Saved Thousands

Clarissa Harlow Barton was born on December 25, 1821 in North Oxford, Massachusetts. She was the youngest of five children. Most of her siblings were schoolteachers. They taught Clara how to read, write, ride horses, and do math problems by the time she was five. She was one smart little girl. She learned how to be a nurse when her brother David fell from the barn roof and he became very ill. For two long years she stayed by his bedside helping in every way possible, from giving him his medication, cleaning his wounds, or just keeping him company. Although she was very shy she loved to help people. (Hamilton 17-18).

At the age of 17 she became a schoolteacher and got a badge of honor for having the most disciplined class. She taught for about 13 years then returned home to further her education. After she graduated from Clinton she moved to Bordentown, New Jersey where she began teaching again at a school for families who could pay for their education (Hamilton 25-26).

In 1852 she finally got her wish of s

However, the United States still had not signed the Geneva Treaty. Sadly President Garfield was shot and Mortally wounded. He died two months later. This meant Clara had to start all over again to try and get the treaty signed so the U.S. could become a member of the International Red Cross (Hamilton 90).

Following the outbreak of the Civil War, she began independently to organize medical supplies and to nurse the battlefield casualties. She quickly became know as the “Angel of the Battlefield,” dividing her time between tending the wounded and cooking for them (Abakanowicz and Blackwell 135). She also helped gather identification records for the missing and the dead (Academic American Encyclopedia 98). Clara served as a battlefield nurse through the whole war helping all she could. After the war she found missing soldiers. She got Anderson Ville Camp turned into a cemetery and told thousands of families what happened to there loved ones (Hamilton 31-45, 63-67).

Today the Red Cross provides humanitarian service that include disaster relief, biomedical services, health and safety training, community services and armed forces emergency services. More than 1,200,000 Americans who serve as Red Cross volunteers annually support the organization. It is a huge organization that helps millions around the world every year (World Book 185).

One day in 1877 she wrote to Dr. Appia, telling him how much she wanted to organize the American Red Cross. Soon afterward she received a letter from Gustave Moynier who was the president of the International Committee. Enclosed in his letter was another letter to Rutherford B. Hayes, the president of the United States. This letter established Clara Barton as the U.S. representative of the International Committee and asked America to sign the Geneva Treaty and organize a branch of the American Red Cross. No matter how hard she tried President Hayes would not sign the treaty (Hamilton 86). Clara would not give up.

When President James A

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