1861-1865 Civil War. Clara Barton was there. Risking her life in the battlefields, she provided food, medical and clothing supplies, and emotional support to soldiers both in the field and in temporary facilities. She helped locate 13,000 graves and create a national cemetery for the prison war’s dead in Andersonville, GA.
1882 & 1883 Mississippi River Floods. Clara Barton was there. From aboard the ship Mattie Belle, she directed relief efforts.
1888 Yellow Fever Epidemic, Jacksonville, FL. Clara Barton was there too. She coordinated relief efforts with the Howard Association.
1892 Famine, Russia. Clara Barton organized the first international assistance by sending flour and cornmeal to Russia that fed over 7,000 people.
Vanguard. Maverick. Pioneer. Superhero.
Clara Barton worked across America and Europe. She soared beyond her own and others’ limitations; boundlessly courageous, she did what could be seen as impossible. These events represent just a small sampling of Clara’s seemingly omnipresent and heroic assistance in the name of service to American military members and relief during and following natural disasters.
“No” was not in her vocabulary. Clara pursued three US Presidents before she was able to establish authorization for an American Red Cross. When one US President, Rutherford B. Hayes uttered no, she doggedly pursued his successor, President James Garfield. Unfortunately, Garfield was assassinated before support could be authorized. Undeterred and relentless, Clara again sought support from a third President, Chester Arthur. This time Clara received her yes. She struggled with exhaustion and depression, even losing her eyesight temporarily. Yet her unflinching devotion to helping others is what kept her going and led her to bring the Red Cross from Europe to establish the American Red Cross.
Be inspired. Be Determined. Be Courageous. Do what others deem impossible and celebrate Clara Barton. Explore your inner superhero through the American Red Cross. Volunteer. Donate. Support. Continue to inspire.
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