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In 1869, Clara Barton went to Europe to rest. But she was soon busy again with a cause that brought together her many skills and talents.
In Switzerland, she met members of the International Committee for the Relief of the Wounded in War. These men talked to Barton about a new organization. They called it the International Red Cross. In 1873, Clara Barton returned to the United States. She was convinced that America needed a Red Cross.
◀ The Geneva Convention is an international agreement. It allows doctors and nurses to safely treat the sick and injured in war zones. In 1864, 12 nations signed this agreement. They also agreed to the creation of the International Association of the Red Cross. The U.S. had refused to sign the treaty. The government feared that other nations might aid the Confederacy during the Civil War.
▲ The Franco-Prussian War broke out in July 1870. The war was between France and Germany. Barton helped both sides. She joined a volunteer group, carrying supplies to the war front. She saw storehouses filled with clothing, bandages, food, and other supplies. These were given to the Red Cross by nations all over Europe. Above, Red Cross nurses aid the wounded.
When Barton returned to the United States, she began to tell others about the work of the Red Cross. She wrote a booklet, “What the Red Cross Is.” She gave speeches and met with members of Congress and the president’s cabinet. Before the American Red Cross could be formed, she had to convince U.S. lawmakers to sign the Geneva Convention. ▶
◀ On June 9, 1882, the international committee formally accepted Clara Barton’s Red Cross as its official American representative. Barton became the organization’s first president, in 1881. It was an office she held for 23 years.
A Helping Hand
Clara Barton wanted the Red Cross to act in peacetime as well as in wartime. She wanted it to help victims of hurricanes, floods, forest fires, and other natural disasters. Red Cross leaders in other nations liked Barton’s new role for the Red Cross. They made it a part of the organization’s international charter. (A charter is a written document that describes an organization’s objectives, structure, and operations.)
1884 ▶
The Ohio River flooded. Four hundred miles of riverfront became a disaster area. People trapped in their homes had to be rescued by boat. For three months, Clara Barton and Red Cross volunteers went up and down the river. They delivered food, blankets, and coal. Here, volunteers travel the flooded streets of Cincinnati, Ohio, by boat.
◀ 1891
The developers of Glen Echo, Maryland, built a large house. It was supposed to be Barton’s home. Instead, Barton used it as a warehouse for disaster relief supplies. In 1897, she moved to Glen Echo and used her home as national headquarters for the American Red Cross. Legislation passed in 1974 allowed for the establishment of the Clara Barton National Historic Site at Glen Echo.
1898 ▶
When Clara Barton (seated) was more than 70 years old, she led a team of Red Cross workers to Cuba. There, rebels were fighting the island’s Spanish rulers. Barton’s 300 tons of supplies went to detainees who were held in camps by the Spanish to keep them from helping the rebels.
◀ 1900
A hurricane and tidal waves turned Galveston, Texas, into a massive pile of rubble. More than 6,000 people lost their lives. Barton, age 78, brought in a team of Red Cross workers to distribute food, bury the dead, and reopen roads.
1912 ▶
Clara Barton died on April 12, 1912, at age 90.
▲ Today
The American Red Cross is busier than ever, providing aid to millions of survivors of natural and human-made disasters worldwide.
Think Piece!
Reflect on the different efforts Clara Barton undertook during her life.
Which do you think is the most significant, and why?
Compare ideas with others.
