Clara barton family
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Clara Barton
1821-1912
Who Was Clara Barton?
Clara Barton was an independent nurse during the Civil War. While visiting Europe after the war’s conclusion, she worked with a relief organization known as the International Red Cross and lobbied for an American branch when she returned home. The American Red Cross was founded in 1881, and Barton served as its first president. The Red Cross continues to provide emergency assistance and disaster relief to this day, and Barton’s efforts helped pave the way for women in positions of leadership.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Clarissa Harlowe Barton
BORN: December 25, 1821
DIED: April 12, 1912
BIRTHPLACE: North Oxford, Massachusetts
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn
Early Life and Education
Clara Barton was born Clarissa Harlowe Barton on December 25, 1821, in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Barton’s parents were Stephen Barton and Sarah Stone Barton. Stephen was a politician, horse breeder, and farmer who told his daughter stories of the American Indian Wars—helping Clara learn the importance of keeping an army equipped with food, clothing, a
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Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Founder of the American Red Cross
December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912
Clara Barton, circa 1860-65. National Archives and Records Administration
Clara Barton dedicated her life to the welfare of others and, through her selfless service, saved the lives of countless Soldiers and civilians around the world. Barton possessed a tenacious spirit which landed her on battlefields during the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War, in the company of presidents and politicians, and finally at the head of the American Red Cross.
Early Life
Clara Barton, circa 1850. National Parks Service
Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton, was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts, on Dec. 1821. Barton was the youngest of five children and known to be shy as a child but was smart and hardworking. As a young teenager, she worked as a bookkeeper and clerk for her oldest brother. In 1839, at the age of 18, Barton became a school teacher and later, in 1853, founded a school in Bordentown, New Jersey. In 1854, Barton moved to Washington, D.C., where she took a job
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Clara Barton
Highlights of an Extraordinary Life
Born December 25, 1821, in North Oxford, Massachusetts, Clara Barton was the fifth child of Stephen and Sarah Barton. After an early career in teaching, Clara moved to Washington, D.C., and worked at the U.S. Patent Office. She was one of the first women to work for the federal government.
Angel of the Battlefield
Clara was still living in Washington when the American Civil War began in 1861. During that time, she bravely provided nursing care and supplies to soldiers — activities that ultimately defined her life and earned her the nickname, Angel of the Battlefield. When the war ended, Clara found new ways to help the military. With permission from President Lincoln, she opened the Office of Missing Soldiers, helping to reconnect more than 20,000 soldiers with their families.
During a trip to Switzerland in 1869, Clara learned about the Red Cross movement, a European humanitarian effort to provide neutral aid to those injured in combat. Inspired by that cause, Clara volunteered with the International Committee of the
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