Clara Barton and the American Red Cross

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Clara Barton and the American Red Cross Clara Barton was born on December 25, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts. Clara was the youngest of five children in a middle class family. She was educated at home until the age of fifteen, when Clara began teaching school herself. Though Clara Barton is probably most known for establishing the Red Cross, she only had two years of medical experience before the war. Clara gained this experience by taking care of her invalid (a person made weak by injury or illness) brother. When the war began in 1861, Clara had been working in the United States Patent office in Washington, D.C.. She organized a relief program for the soldiers when the 6th Massachusetts Regiment came to Washington after the Baltimore Riots. After Clara learned about the number of wounded at the first battle of Bull Run, she advertised for donations to purchase medical supplies for the soldiers. Her advertisements were successful. Soon after this, United States Surgeon General William A. Hammond granted her permission to travel with the army ambulances and to prov...

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