Barton, Clara (1821-1912)
- Title
- Barton, Clara (1821-1912)
- Contributor
- Zizelmann, Evelyn
- birthday
- 1821-12-25
- Birthplace
- North Oxford, MA
- Death Date
- 1912-04-12
- Occupation
- Nurse, humanitarian
- Biographical Text
-
Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born to Captain Stephen and Sarah Stone Barton and was named after the main character of Samuel Richardson's novel "Clarissa." As she grew up, she was taught by her older cousins after becoming depressed when enrolled in public school. She was a great help to her family, and nursed her cousin to health after doctors had long given up on his recovery. She received her teaching certificate at 17 years old, allowing her to become more confident in her work and starting her journey towards equal rights. She taught for twelve years in Canada and West Georgia, and after her mother's death in 1851, Barton attended Clinton Liberal Institute for writing and languages. She moved to Washington, D.C. in 1855 and became a clerk in the U.S. Patent Office, was fired in 1858 for her political views, and then rehired in 1861 as a copyist. In 1861, as the American Civil War began, and Barton provided comfort, food, and clothing to the wounded soldiers, eventually learning to store and distribute medical supplies for their needs. From this, she began her campaign to take care of soldiers on the front lines, whenever she was needed, and resulted in her nickname "Angel of the Battlefield." After the war, Barton found the Office of Missing Soldiers, and paired with Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas for suffrage and activist movements. She would go on to become the president of the American Red Cross, and would advocate for the Red Cross to go international.
Four years prior to her death, she had released her autobiography, "The Story of My Childhood." Barton died at 90 years old to pneumonia. In 1974, the Clara Barton National Historic Site was established in her honor at her home in Maryland.
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