Clara Barton, affectionately known as the “Angel of the Battlefield,” is the most well-known woman in American history for her untiring and selfless dedication to wounded troops on the battlefield. During the American Civil Army, this famed war nurse resigned from her government employment and embarked on a risky journey to the front lines of the conflict, at a time when women were not permitted on the battlefields. She put her own life on the line to bring medical and food supplies to wounded soldiers, saving the lives of numerous soldiers. At the age of 60, she formed the American Red Cross and served as the organization’s President for 23 years. She was one of the first American women to work as a clerk in the United States Patent Office and earn the same pay as a male. She was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and a member of the women’s suffrage movement. She was also an activist for African-American rights. Clara Barton’s bravery and constancy are demonstrated by the fact that she dared to risk her life on the battlefield at a period when women rarely came out of their homes to labor.
Childhood and Adolescence
Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born in Oxford, Massachusetts, to farmers and selectmen Capt. Stephen Barton and Sarah Stone.
She had exceptional reading and spelling skills since the age of three and attended Col. Stones High School, but she was a very shy child.
She began her career as a nurse when she was eleven years old when she took care of her sick brother David, who miraculously recovered under her care despite doctors’ best efforts.
She began working as a teacher in Massachusetts in 1838, at the age of seventeen, when she showed exceptional ability in dealing with difficult pupils.
She enrolled at the Clinton Liberal Institute in New York in 1850 to study writing and languages. She went on to create a free school in New Jersey after finishing her schooling.
The Career of Clara
She moved to Washington, D.C., in 1855, to work as a clerk in the United States Patent Office. Her income was equivalent to that of a guy here, which was unusual at the time. After a brief period of opposition, the question of appointing a woman to a government job was raised, and her position was lowered to that of a copyist, and she was sacked in 1856.
She was re-appointed to the US Patent Office in 1861 and began working as a temporary copyist, with the goal of providing greater possibilities for women to work in government offices.
By 1862, she had acquired authorization to work on the front lines of the American Civil War, distributing first aid supplies to hospitals and camps, as well as treating wounded troops on the battlefield.
In 1864, she began working as a ‘woman in charge in the hospitals at the front of the Army of the James – the regiment that served along the James River in Virginia – at the request of Union General Benjamin Butler.
She worked in the Office of Missing Soldiers, which was located at 437 Seventh Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., after the American Civil War ended. The organization found and reunited missing soldiers with their families.
She soon began giving talks across the country about her wartime experiences, as well as becoming a member of the women’s suffrage movement and an African-American rights activist.
She traveled to Europe during the Franco-Prussian War in 1869 and served with the International Red Cross, following which she wanted to establish the organization in the United States.
Following the Siege of Paris in 1871, she worked tirelessly to ensure that the impoverished and affected victims in Paris received food and medical supplies.
She formed the American arm of the Red Cross, known as the American National Red Cross, on May 21, 1881, and became its president. The society’s first official meeting was conducted in her residence in Washington, D.C.
The first local branch of the Red Cross was established in Dansville, Livingston County, New York, on August 22, 1882, where she owned a country estate and had many social contacts.
After getting official approval from Abdul Hamid II, she traveled by sea to Constantinople in 1897 and established the American International Red Cross headquarters in Turkey.
She traveled to several districts of Armenia in 1896 to bring necessary food supplies, medication, humanitarian help, and other necessities to the people.
She responded to the victims of the Galveston hurricane in 1900, which was her final assignment as President of the American Red Cross. She also established a home for orphaned youngsters during this time.
She resigned as President of the American Red Cross in 1904 and founded the National First Aid Society.
Clara’s Major Projects
She started the American Red Cross, which is a well-known humanitarian organization with a worldwide reputation. It is the third most popular charity/non-profit organization in America, providing emergency aid to victims in the United States.
Personal History and Legacy
She made the decision not to marry for the rest of her life. However, it’s been suggested that she had a love relationship with John J. Elwell.
She died in Montgomery County, Maryland, in the United States, at the age of 90.
Her home in Glen Echo was designated as a historic site in 1975, and the Clara Barton National Historic Site was established as the first National Historic Site dedicated to a woman.
Estimated Net worth
Clara is one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs and one of the most well-known. Clara Barton’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
In school, this famous American nurse and educator were so shy and timid that she only had one companion and was frequently so miserable that she refused to eat.