Clara barton biography childhoods end

Barton led an effective redistricting campaign that allowed the children of workers to receive an education. Barton became an educator in and served for 11 years in schools in and around Oxford, Massachusetts. Barton fared well as a teacher; she knew how to handle children, particularly the boys since as a child she enjoyed her boy cousins' and brothers' company.

She learned how to act like them, making it easier for her to relate to and control the boys in her care. Barton decided to further her education by pursuing writing and languages at the Clinton Liberal Institute in New York. In this college, she developed many friendships that broadened her point of view on many issues concurring at the time.

The principal of the institute recognized her tremendous abilities and admired her work. This friendship lasted for many years, eventually turning into a romance. Her writings and bodies of work could instruct the local statesmen. While teaching in Hightstown, Barton learned about the lack of public schools in Bordentown, the neighboring city.

Once it was completed, Barton was replaced as principal by a man elected by the school board. They saw the position as head of a large institution to be unfitting for a woman. She was demoted to "female assistant" and worked in a harsh environment until she had a nervous breakdown along with other health ailments, and quit. Inshe moved to Washington, D.

Patent Office ; [ 12 ] this was the first time a woman had received a substantial clerkship in the federal government and at a salary equal to a man's salary. For three years, she received much abuse and slander from male clerks. The victims, members of the 6th Massachusetts Militiawere transported after the violence to the unfinished Capitol Building in Washington, D.

Wanting to serve her country, Barton went to the railroad station when the victims arrived and nursed 40 men. She personally took supplies to the building to help the soldiers.

Clara barton biography childhoods end: In , at the age

Barton quickly recognized them, as she had grown up with some of them and even taught some. Barton, along with several other women, personally provided clothing, food, and supplies for the sick and wounded soldiers. She learned how to store and distribute medical supplies and offered emotional support to the soldiers by keeping their spirits high.

She would read books to them, write letters to their families for them, talk to them, and support them. It was on that day that she identified herself with army work and began her efforts towards collecting medical supplies for the Union soldiers. Prior to distributing provisions directly onto the battlefield and gaining further support, Barton used her own living quarters as a storeroom and distributed supplies with the help of a few friends in earlydespite opposition in the War Department and among field surgeons.

In AugustBarton finally gained permission from Quartermaster Daniel Rucker to work on the clara barton biography childhoods end lines. She gained support from other people who believed in her cause. These people became her patrons, her most supportive being Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts. After the First Battle of Bull RunBarton placed an ad in a Massachusetts newspaper for supplies; the response was a profound influx of supplies.

At the battle of Antietam, for example, Barton used corn-husks in place of bandages. I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them. Historian Stephen B. Oates claims that Barton and Elwell had a romantic and sexual relationship. Inshe was appointed by Union General Benjamin Butler as the "lady in charge" of the hospitals at the front of the Army of the James.

Among her more harrowing experiences was an incident in which a bullet tore through the sleeve of her dress without striking her and killed a man to whom she was tending. She arrived at a field hospital at midnight with a large number of supplies to help the severely wounded soldiers. After the end of the American Civil War, Barton discovered that thousands of letters from distraught relatives to the War Department were going unanswered because the soldiers they were asking about were buried in unmarked graves.

Many of the soldiers were labeled as "missing. She was given permission, and "The Search for the Missing Men" commenced. Barton spent the summer of helping find, identify, and properly bury 13, individuals who died in Andersonville prison campa Confederate prisoner-of-war camp in Georgia. Clara Barton achieved widespread recognition by delivering lectures around the country about her war experiences from to During this time she met Susan B.

Anthony and began an association with the woman's suffrage movement. She also became acquainted with Frederick Douglass and became an activist for civil rights. After her countrywide tour she was both mentally and physically exhausted and under doctor's orders to go somewhere that would take her far from her current work. She closed the Missing Soldiers Office in and traveled to Europe.

Appia ; he later would invite her to be the representative for the American branch of the Red Cross and help her find financial benefactors for the start of the American Red Cross. She was also introduced to Henry Dunant 's book A Memory of Solferinowhich called for the formation of national societies to provide relief voluntarily on a neutral basis.

In the beginning of the Franco-Prussian Warinshe assisted the Grand Duchess of Baden in the preparation of military hospitals and gave the Red Cross society much aid during the war. Inshe met with President Rutherford B. Hayeswho expressed the opinion of most Americans at that time which was the U. Barton finally succeeded during the administration of President Chester Arthurusing the argument that the new American Red Cross could respond to crises other than war such as natural disasters like earthquakes, forest fires, and hurricanes.

Barton became President of the American branch of the society, which held its first official meeting at her apartment in Washington, DC, May 21, The society's role changed with the advent of the Spanish—American War during which it aided refugees and prisoners of the civil war. Once the Spanish—American War was over the grateful people of Santiago built a statue in honor of Barton in the town square, which still stands there today.

In the United States, Barton was praised in numerous newspapers and reported about Red Cross operations in person. Domestically in she helped in the floods on the Ohio river, provided Texas with food and supplies during the famine oftook workers to Illinois in after a tornado, and that same year took workers to Florida for the yellow fever epidemic.

Inresponding to the humanitarian crisis in the Ottoman Empire of the Hamidian massacresBarton arrived in Constantinople February Barton herself stayed in Constantinople to conduct the business of the expedition.

Clara barton biography childhoods end: Her father was a prosperous

Her General Field Agent, J. Hubbell, M. Wistar and C. Wood; and Ira Harris M. Barton also worked in hospitals in Cuba in at the age of The operation established an orphanage for children. As criticism arose of her mixing professional and personal resources, Barton was forced to resign as president of the American Red Cross in at the age of 83 because her egocentric leadership style fit poorly into the formal structure of an organizational charity.

During the dedication, not one person said a word. This was done in order to honor the women and their services. She continued to live in her Glen Echo, Maryland home which also served as the Red Cross Headquarters upon her arrival at the house in Barton published her autobiography intitled The Story of My Childhood. Barton's wartime diary entries show she was a devout Christian.

She specifically had a strong belief in divine providencewriting for instance that she "believed that Providence had ordained Lincoln's election. Although not formally a member of the Universalist Church of America[ 43 ] in a letter to the widow of Carl Norman Thrasher, she identified herself with her parents' church as a "Universalist". Your belief that I am a Universalist is as correct as your greater belief that you are one yourself, a belief in which all who are privileged to possess it rejoice.

In my case, it was a great gift, like St. Paul, I "was born free", and saved the pain of reaching it through years of struggle and doubt. My father was a leader in the building of the church in which Hosea Ballow preached his first dedication sermon. Your historic records will show that the old Huguenot town of Oxford, Mass. In this town I was born; in this church I was reared.

New York: The Free Press, Stevenson, Augusta. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, Whitelaw, Nancy. Clara Barton: Civil War Nurse. Enslow Publishers, Inc. Related Biographies. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

Clara barton biography childhoods end: The youngest child, with four

Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her year career. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music. Today, that boarding house is our museum. No one ever said was an uneventful year in the United States. Union troops flooded into Washington, DC.

The 6 th Massachusetts Infantry was among these troops. While switching trains and train stations in Baltimore, the regiment was attacked by a mob of Confederate sympathizers. Others jeered at the soldiers, with pistols and muskets in their hand. Then someone fired a shot, which led to more shots and more stone throwing from both sides. Finally the police arrived and put an end to the violence.

The police escorted the soldiers to Camden Street station and their train to Washington. The Baltimore Riot resulted in the first casualties of the Civil War. Eight of the Confederate sympathizers were killed, along with three soldiers, and one innocent bystander. Twenty-four soldiers were wounded. The news of the riot arrived in Washington before the train did.

Clara, along with many other women, were at the station to meet the train. When the soldiers emerged, Clara discovered they were her old friends, school mates, and students from Massachusetts. She sprung into action, organizing who should go where for treatment and rest. In the following days, more and more soldiers arrived in Washington. They were everywhere.

Without suitable barracks, soldiers set up camp in government buildings. The Sixth Massachusetts camped on the floor of the Senate. Clara visited old friends and made new acquaintances. She also noticed that not only did the troops have nowhere to camp, they were sorely without supplies. Clara was determined to fix this. She began collecting supplies, first in her neighborhood, then from her friends in Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Soon, Barton had acquired three warehouses full of supplies, and had to figure out how to get them to the soldiers. Getting the supplies to the soldiers was easier said than done. Barton returned home to Massachusetts after her copyist role at the Patent Office was eliminated in Thee years later, she returned to her position to serve under new President Abraham Lincoln.

The Civil War began less than a year later. During the Civil WarBarton sought to help the soldiers in any way she could. At the beginning, she collected and distributed supplies for the Union Army.

Clara barton biography childhoods end: Born December 25, , in North

Not content sitting on the sidelines, Barton served as an independent nurse and first saw combat in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in She also cared for soldiers wounded at Antietam in Maryland. However, she gained the trust of military officials and Lincoln over time. After the war ended inBarton worked for the War Department, helping to either reunite missing soldiers and their families or find out more about those who were missing.

She also became a lecturer, and crowds of people came to hear her talk about her war experiences. Some time after returning home to the United States, she began to lobby for an American branch of the international organization. As its leader, Barton primarily oversaw assistance and relief work for the victims of such disasters as the Johnstown Flood, when a dam break in Pennsylvania led to more than 2, deaths, and the Galveston Storm in Texas.

After a hurricane destroyed the Texas island community, more than 8, people lost their lives in what remains the deadliest natural disaster in U. InBarton published the book A Story of the Red Cross about her life and efforts with the organization. Barton was a close friend of suffragistwriterand lecturer Susan B. Anthony was a proponent of nursing reform and, indelivered the keynote address at the New York State Nurses Convention.

Barton resigned from the American Red Cross in amid an internal power struggle and claims of financial mismanagement.