She continued her service to Americans in war by traveling to Cuba with supplies for victims in the Spanish American War. This start-up not only earned Congressional recognition, but Presidential acknowledgement as well, as evidenced by Theodore Roosevelt's call for the Red Cross to lead the major relief effort associated with the San Francisco earthquake.
Service to American soldiers continued in every American war effort over the last century. The international body also took notice, ultimately changing its charter to include natural disasters during peacetime, as well as wartime assistance, all based on the pattern originally established by Barton.
Such is the legacy of Clara Barton, a network of like-minded people who recognize that talking about helping others isn't enough; a commitment to action is what's necessary to ultimately make a difference. Barton's leadership by action serves as an inspiration to others and remains at the center of her legacy. During Barton's era, many women attempted to advocate for an increase in women's rights.
While Barton was definitely a supporter of these efforts, she didn't stop there. Barton led by example, forcing her way onto the battlefield and into the political sphere of influence, proving to men that women were fully able to take on tasks previously considered suitable only for men. Through her perseverance, Barton ultimately received support and approval at all levels of the male-dominated American society, up to and including the most powerful man in the country, the President of the United States.
When Barton first appeared on Civil War battlefields to help wounded soldiers, her assistance was declined for no woman had ever appeared directly on the field of battle, in camps, or even field hospitals.
As was her nature, Barton persisted, eventually gaining the trust of the military officials, and ultimately helping to coordinate the receipt of supplies from around the country. As Barton moved beyond nursing soldiers on the battlefield, she began to assist families in searching for missing soldiers.
President Abraham Lincoln was so impressed by Barton and this effort that he personally authorized her to begin a letter-writing campaign through the official Office of Correspondence to continue this noble search.
When the American Red Cross was formally established Barton was the only choice to be its leader, a function she performed for more than 20 years. This position of leadership and authority of a national organization was unprecedented for an American woman, long before Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to Congress , Kate Gleason became the first female president of a national bank , Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean , or Letitia Pate Whitehead became the first director of a major corporation Coca-Cola, Barton paved the way for female leadership in American institutions, charging forward against all odds to ultimately obtain the tacit acknowledgment of the ruling males in the country that, indeed, a woman can and should be allowed positions of leadership.
By , Barton retired from the Red Cross. She lived out the rest of her life at her Glenn Echo, MD home and died there on April 12, , at the age of She is buried in the family cemetery in North Oxford, MA. Clara Barton was working in the U. Like many women, she helped collect bandages and other much-needed supplies, but she soon realized that she could best support the troops by going in person to the battlefields. When her service to the Union soldiers was complete, Barton traveled to Europe.
There, she became aware of the Geneva, Switzerland-based Red Cross, which called for international agreements to protect the sick and wounded during wartime and for the formation of national societies to give aid voluntarily on a neutral basis. Upon her return home, Barton was determined that the United States should participate in the global Red Cross network. Working with influential friends and contacts such as Frederick Douglass, she founded the American Red Cross in Barton served as president of the organization until , when she resigned at age Her legacy to the nation— service to humanity —is reflected in the services provided daily by the employees and volunteers of the American Red Cross.
Red Cross History Overview. Explore Our Timeline. Our Federal Charter. The Global Red Cross Network. Contributions of People of Color. Contributions of Young Americans. Red Cross Nursing. Tiffany Windows. Please enter a valid 5 digit zip code. Please enter a 5 digit zip code. Clara Barton Birthplace Museum. Clara Barton at Antietam. National Park Service. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!
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