The Woman Behind the Red Cross: The Story of Clara Barton

By: Craig McPherson

A portrait of Clara Barton, supposedly taken in 1866 (Credit: Wikipedia).

March is not only Women’s History Month, but it is also national Red Cross Month. It only seems appropriate to discuss a woman who had a significant role in the history of the American Red Cross Organization. No woman could have a more important role in the organization’s history than its founder; Clara Barton. This article will not only honor her for her contributions to blood donations, but also explain her background and how she would create the Red Cross organization. 

Clarissa “Clara” Barton was born on December 25th of 1821. Growing up in Oxford, Massachusetts, she was the youngest of five and the daughter of a successful farmer. Her first experience as a nurse would be as a teenager, when she helped take care of her brother when he suffered a terrible head injury. When she was young, she was also notably shy. To help her become more outgoing, her parents encouraged her to become a teacher. To prepare for this, she studied at the Clinton Liberal Institute in New York. 

Barton began her career as a teacher when she was 18. She eventually established the first free school in Bordentown, New Jersey in 1852. However, her career would end when she was replaced as the school’s principal by a man. Besides being demoted to his assistant, Barton had to endure a poor work environment and a nervous breakdown, leading her to quit. Her next career began in 1854 as a recording clerk in the U.S. Patent Office. She was the first woman to ever work for the federal government, and her pay was the same as her male colleagues. Unfortunately, she still suffered abuse and hostility from her male counterparts, and eventually had her salary reduced before being fired not very long afterwards. In 1860, however, she did return as a copyist for a brief period. She did so to hopefully encourage more women to serve in the government. 

Clara would leave the Patent Office again in 1861, during the start of the Civil War. She did so to assist Union Soldiers by providing them with medical care and providing them supplies. It was because of this that she was famously dubbed “Angel of the Battlefield”. After the war, she would help over 20,000 missing soldiers reunite with their families. She also gave lectures about her experiences all over the U.S. from 1865 to 1868. As a result, Barton was noted to be an associate of Susan B. Anthony, and became an advocate for both Women’s Suffrage and Civil Rights.

However, her activities over these few years would cause her to feel mentally and physically exhausted. Her doctor recommended she take a vacation. Therefore, in 1869, she took the trip to Geneva, Switzerland, where she first learned about the International Red Cross Organization. When Barton returned to America, she would gain support for the creation of an American Red Cross by educating people about the concept of the blood donation program. She would do so by writing pamphlets, giving lectures, and gaining the support of the President at the time, Rutherford B. Hayes. All of her efforts would pay off in 1881 when the American Association of the Red Cross was opened. Clara Barton served as the President of the association for 23 years, until 1904. She would pass away only 8 years later, on April 12th of 1912. 

To conclude, Clara Barton was not only a major historical figure in American medical practice, but also an excellent example of a feminist role model. Despite constantly facing sexual adversity and hostility from men, she always advocated for gender equality and became a significant figure in every field she worked in. As Barton herself once said; "I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's salary."