How Did Clara Barton Contribute To The American Red Cross

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Clara Barton was born on December 25, 1921 in Massachusetts. She quickly realized her affinity for helping people when she began caring for her brother, David, after he was injured in an accident. Barton received most of her education by working as a bookkeeper and a clerk for her older brother. She started teaching at the age of fifteen, after taking the advice of a doctor who recommended she begin teaching to overcome her shyness, even though at that time it was more common for men to be teachers. She eventually opened up her own free public school in Bordentown, New Jersey in 1953, although she was later replaced by a man. She then moved to Washington D.C. to work in the US Patent Office until the start of the war. When the …show more content…

She volunteered with an organization called the International Red Cross where she used her previous experiences with to courageously help soldiers once again. Barton was inspired by this organization so when she returned to the US she made plans to create an American branch of the Red Cross. The American Red Cross was founded in 1881. She held the position of president until she resigned in 1904. While she worked with the American Red Cross she never accepted a salary and often used her own money to help with the organization’s efforts. The American Red Cross is still active today. It performs relief efforts after natural disasters, as well as holding blood drives and providing education. On April 12, 1912, Clara Barton died in her home in Glen Echo, Maryland at the age of ninety. Although she never married, she left behind a legacy that would never be forgotten. She had written and published several books about the beginnings of the Red Cross, as well a short autobiography titled “The Story of My Childhood.” She won several awards for her work, including the International Red Cross medal. Her work is still fondly remembered to this day because of her nobility and

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