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On Christmas Day, 1821, Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts.
Ten years separated Barton in age from her two older sisters and two older brothers. As a child, she had few children her own age to play with. The family dog, Button, was often her only playmate.
When Clara Barton was 11, her brother David suffered a serious injury. Barton helped nurse him back to health. Caring for David gave Barton a sense of purpose. After he recovered, Barton nursed several families during a smallpox epidemic, until she herself got sick. Her helping heart and determination were developing and starting to show.
