Student Article

Imagine a woman so brave that she ran into battle — not to fight, but to save lives.

The beginning of Clara Barton's journey

Clara Barton was born on Christmas Day in 1821 in Massachusetts. As a child, she helped care for her injured brother, which sparked her interest in nursing. Clara was very shy, but she worked hard and became a teacher when she was still a teenager. She even opened a free school in New Jersey. The school quickly grew to over 600 students, but the school board thought a woman couldn’t lead such a large school. They hired a man instead, so Clara quit in protest.

Breaking barriers in the workplace

She later worked in Washington, D.C., at the Patent Office. There, she earned equal pay as the men — but that didn’t last long. Gossip from her coworkers got her demoted.

Clara's role in the Civil War

When the Civil War began in 1861, Clara didn’t stay on the sidelines. She collected medical supplies, wrote letters for injured soldiers, and traveled straight to the battlefields. She helped anyone who needed her, no matter what side they were on. She became so trusted that she even brought her own wagons of supplies to major battles like Antietam. A surgeon once called her the “Angel of the Battlefield” because she helped so many people.

Helping families and soldiers after the war

After the war, Clara set up a group to find missing soldiers and inform their families. She helped identify over 22,000 men. When the Franco-Prussian War broke out in Europe, Clara helped there, too. That’s where she learned about the International Red Cross. Inspired, she started the American Red Cross in 1881 and led it until 1904. Under her leadership, the group helped during disasters like floods, storms, and wars — not just in the U.S., but around the world.

Clara Barton's legacy

Clara Barton died in 1912 at age 90. She spent her life helping others and proved that kindness and courage could change the world.

© Jonny Wilkes / www.historyextra.com