Clara Barton
A self-taught battlefield angel who defied gender constraints to deliver aid and founded the American Red Cross.
1821–1912 (age 91)·American Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross·Birthday: December 25
Biography
Clara Barton was a force of will who carved a path for American humanitarianism where none existed. Shy and sidelined in her youth, she found her purpose during the Civil War, not as a formally trained nurse but as a determined organizer who personally delivered supplies to the front lines. She earned the nickname 'Angel of the Battlefield' for her fearless work at gruesome sites like Antietam. After the war, she ran the monumental task of identifying missing soldiers. A trip to Europe introduced her to the International Red Cross, and she returned home with a mission. She spent years lobbying for an American branch, facing political resistance and the pervasive sexism of the era. Her persistence paid off in 1881, and she led the American Red Cross for 23 years, expanding its mandate beyond war to include disaster relief for floods, famines, and hurricanes, establishing the template for its modern mission.
#1 When Clara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1821
Clara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1821Born
1826Started school
1834Became a teenager
1837Could drive
1839Could vote
1842Turned 21
1851Turned 30
1861Turned 40
President: Abraham Lincoln
1871Turned 50
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Turned 60
President: Chester A. Arthur
1891Turned 70
President: Benjamin Harrison
1901Turned 80
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Died at 91
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
Key Achievements
- Founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and served as its first president for 23 years.
- Established the Office of Missing Soldiers after the Civil War, identifying the fates of over 22,000 men.
- Personally provided nursing care and supplies on Civil War battlefields, including at the Battle of Antietam.
- Successfully campaigned for the U.S. to ratify the Geneva Convention, which it did in 1882.
Did You Know?
She was a patent clerk in Washington D.C. before the Civil War, one of the first women to hold such a federal post.
She founded a free school in Bordentown, New Jersey, that grew so large the town hired a male principal over her, leading her to resign.
Barton published a memoir titled 'The Story of My Childhood' in 1907.
She never married and was a proponent of women's suffrage throughout her life.
““I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.””
