How Did Clara Barton Contribute To The American Red Cross

Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross Clara Barton was a nurse during the Civil War and founded the American Red Cross. She was an independent, strong woman who spent her entire adult life helping victims of disasters and wars. Even at the risk of her own health and safety, Barton continually found ways to contribute to the welfare of the world. Whether she was in the trenches treating soldiers, establishing a cemetery, distributing supplies, or founding the American Red Cross, Barton always gave her best effort. She was an amazing woman and will be greatly honored throughout history. Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born December 25, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts. She was the youngest of five children. As a young adult, she worked

Barton continued traveling around during the Civil War helping the wounded, tending to the sick, and bringing mail and food to the soldiers in the trenches. Later, she became known for her work establishing a national cemetery in Georgia and identifying the graves of nearly 13,000 men. She is also known for fighting successfully for the ratification of the Geneva Treaty by the U.S. as well as her work during the Franco-Prussian war with International Red Cross volunteers. She distributed relief supplies and opened workrooms in France to help the citizens make new clothes (Founder Clara Barton, American Red Cross.) After returning to the U. S., Barton wrote to the Red Cross officials in Switzerland and began working towards founding the American Red Cross. For the first twenty years of its existence the American Red Cross, led by Clara Barton, devoted most of its efforts to disaster relief. They aided victims of fires, assisted flood victims, helped the survivors of a dam break, and even organized assistance for Russians suffering from famine. In 1893, Barton’s Red Cross group worked for almost a year helping the mostly African-American survivors on the Sea Islands of South Carolina reestablish their economy. One could go on forever listing Barton’s accomplishments with the American Red Cross which is why she is so fondly remembered for founding it and running it in its beginning