Clara Barton

Overview

Clara Barton was an American nurse and humanitarian who founded the American Red Cross in 1881, at age 59, after building a remarkable career helping others. During the Civil War, she earned the nickname "Angel of the Battlefield" for bringing medical supplies directly to soldiers on active battlefields and providing care under dangerous conditions. Before the war, she had worked as a teacher and as one of the first women employed by the federal government, at the U.S. Patent Office. After the war, she traveled to Europe, where she learned about the International Red Cross movement, then returned home determined to build a similar organization to respond to natural disasters and health needs in the United States.

Why She Matters

Clara Barton proved that caring for your community can become a lasting mission rather than a one-time act of kindness. Nearly a century and a half later, the American Red Cross remains one of the most recognized nonprofit organizations in the world, responding to disasters, collecting blood donations, and training people in first aid and emergency preparedness. She also pushed the United States government to formally recognize the Geneva Convention, helping establish international rules that protect people during war and disaster. Barton's story shows young people that a career devoted to helping others can start later in life and grow into an organization that outlasts its founder by generations.