Clara+Barton

"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"- Clara Barton (Pryor). Those were some of the wise words our founder of the American Red Cross once said. Clara Barton wasn't able to be a soldier to fight in battles, but she sure was a helpful woman. In addition she was “a brave woman who chooses to go in sites of battle and civilian soldiers” (Henneberger). Having to go through dangerous situations didn't stop her from achieving what she wanted, which was to help the soldiers all she could and establish the American Red Cross. Nowadays we still thank Clara for giving us the opportunity of having the American Red Cross to provide compassion care not only in peoples home but all around the world. Christmas Day is not only a special holiday but it's also the day Clara Barton was born in North Oxford Massachusetts in the year of 1821 (Jewett). Clara Barton was the Barton's family little Christmas gift. She became the youngest of five children (Anderson). When she was born her family lived in Oxford but before that her family had lived in England for generations (Pryor). Her father was "Captain Stephen Barton", who was a server involved in the Indian war, meaning she wasn't part of just any common family but was daughter a of a great server. Clara Barton was raised in a Universalist church and as an adult she explored Christian Science but didn't join (Henneberger). Even though she wasn't really religious she had always believed in God (Ditchfield).
 * Personal Background **

Everyone nowadays thinks that being the youngest in their family is easy yet back when Clara was the youngest of her siblings she had many responsibilities in her family. As a child Clara Barton didn't get the opportunity to go to school so she had to be home schooled by her brothers and sisters (Steven). Although she didn't go to a school she was well educated and widely experienced (Ditchfield). As Clara Barton grew up she learned how to take care of people. For example, her brother, David, was ill for two years and for those two years Clara took care for him (Henneberger). Ever Since she was young she learned what it was like to be a nurse and to care for people.

When she was sixteen she started working as a teacher in a one room school house.She was teaching more than 200 students while running the school herself. She was a great leader and had such capacity to take care of a lot of kids with no other help. She controlled her students like no other teacher could (Anderson). Afterwards In 1852 she moved to Bordentown, where she hired to introduce a system of free public schools (Pryor). This proves Clara Barton was a woman of fairness, who even created public schools for those who didn't have enough money to pay a private school. During her life time, Clara Barton never got married nor had kids (Ditchfield). It seemed like she cared too much for others and rarely had time for her personal life. In her late days she felt unloved & unwanted and fell into depression (Ditchfield).She was born in 1821 and died in 1912 (Steven). Overall she lived 91 years improving our world with her teachings and nursing.

Clara Barton was the type of Child that was shy and to get over her shyness she became a teacher (Anderson). She never liked to take advantage of money and just wanted what was fair (Ditchfield). Therefore when she became a teacher she was thoughtful about people who didn't have enough money to pay her as a teacher and took what they could give her (Steven). Ever since she was little she had a passion for helping people in need, which is what she did half her time. Many people admired her thanks to her help but Clara Barton was a simple woman who didn't want to attract attention (Ditchfield). She seemed just like any other person and in her free times Clara enjoyed reading, riding horses, and wrote books which made her very talented (Henneberger). Clara was known as a calm and controlled person (Ditchfield). Nowadays there is not many women like Clara. There are not many women like her because Clara was a brave woman who risked her life and choose to go on sites of battle and civilian soldiers (Henneberger). No matter what, she always put soldier’s requirements first showing how generous she was. Clara Barton was so motivated by what she did that she would always be at her best when she helped people (Jewett). Clara was caring and helpful which is why she became the woman who would take care of the soldiers (Steven).
 * Personality Traits **

Like most helpful woman Clara Barton was very active and always had to be doing something. Barton wouldn't just stay in one place helping soldiers or students’ parents but she would always be sent to different places and she loved changes (Ditchfield). We could say Clara Barton loved and just did so many things but what she hated was paperwork (Jewett). When Clara was young she was shy but over time she grew up to have a really strong personality (Pryor). She was loved by many for never failing and being very determined (Anderson). Her major in life was to help the soldiers as much as she could and she became successful in her major (Henneberger).

Clara Barton had a tough and exhausting life yet she didn't let anything get in her way from achieving what she wanted to achieve. When she was just eleven years old one of Clara's Barton brother got injured in a farming accident, Clara was really young and didn't know what to do yet she became his little nurse and managed to cure him (Anderson). Clara Barton was just a little girl who was really shy, she was so shy that she would rarely even talk to her family, and to overcome her shyness her parents encouraged her to become a teacher (Pryor). The year 1852 was a horrifying year for Clara Barton because her mother had died and her father was in failing health which made her feel disenchanted with life (Jewett). Her young life consisted of learning of a new her by overcoming tough moments.
 * Obstacles **

The reason of being a female brought Clara Barton many obstacles by not being treated fairly (Henneberger). When Clara worked as a clerk men would always blow cigar smoke in her face, make rude comments when she walked by and made rumors of her because they thought women shouldn't get paid as much as men (Ditchfield). It was thought that it was inappropriate for a woman to administrate a system (Pryor). Soon they appointed a man to take Clara's Job and he was paid a higher salary. Clara Barton didn't last long in her Job as a clerk (Anderson).

Clara Barton loved being the nurse for soldiers but one time she nearly lost her life while crossing a river. Also in 1869 Clara couldn't speak, the years had caught up with her and she traveled to Europe to rest and overcome that (Pryor). As years went on Clara Barton faced depression so bad that even considered suicide. As she got older she became mentally exhausted by physical inactivity (Henneberger). Clara Barton might have been seen like very active women and achiever but she had to face many obstacles.

Clara Barton was a very important nurse for the United States and made history because of all her hard work. She served as a supervisor of the nurses for the Army of James (Pryor).However she was also the first woman to work for the government (Henneberger). She was hated by many men for having a job in the patent office because she was the only woman there (Pryor).Besides being a nurse and the first woman to work for the government Clara also opened a non-profit school to help the needy (Jewett). One of Barton's most notable accomplish during these years was the organization of a work center in Strasbourg for the city's impoverished woman (Pryor). Clara was considered as an icon of compassion, justice and courage (Anderson). Clara Barton was someone who did many things before she got to where she wanted to be.
 * Historical Significance **

Clara loved to be helpful and was a pioneer in the arena of equal rights for humans (Henneberger). Clara Barton's thoughts were always in people in need even when she was nearing the end of her useful life (Jewett). She served in the second battle of Bull Run, the battle of Antietam and the battle of Fredicksberg (Anderson). Clara Barton was the kind woman who would give up her thirst for others. She was one of the many brave fieldworkers; no matter how hard something was nothing stopped her (Pryor). Clara was in many battles but one important one is when she helped the injured soldiers out of the Battlefield (Ditchfield). The soldier’s family's loved her because she reunited the soldiers with their families (Steven). Barton also led a mission to the the confederate prison in Andersonville (Anderson). Clara was recognized by the emperor of Germany and awarded her the iron cross of Merit (Ditchfield).

Clara Barton never gave up and she spread nearly a decade spreading the word and preparing for the founding of the Red Cross (Anderson). Clara Barton finally convinced President Arthur to sign the treaty of Genora where the Red Cross society was finally approved in the United States thanks to Clara Barton on March 16 (Ditchfield). After Clara Barton found the American Red she served for 23 years (Steven).She was called the Angel of Battlefields too many soldiers. Clara Barton after all her work she became a legend (Ditchfield). The dedication and generosity of one woman, Clara Barton had far-reaching effects (Pryor). Clara Barton's contributed so much to humanity and will always be known as the Founder of the Red Cross. Now a day many peoples life has been safe thanks to the Red Cross (Jewett).

Anderson,Amy ."Profiles in Greatness- Clara Barton." //Success//. 4 May 2009. //Bringing help to the helpless//. Web. 11 December 2014. **SE#6**
 * References **

[|Ditchfield,Christian].Clara Barton //Founder of the American Red Cross.// Mexico: Franklin Watts. Print. **SE#1**

[|Henneberger,Melinda]."...Clara Barton fought 'Thin Black Snakes' of depression by springing into action" //Washington post//. 16 April 2012. //Magazine//. Web.17 September 2014. **SE#2**

[|Jewett,Philip L]. "Clara Barton: Soldier's Friend. "//Autumn 40//(1998) :237-248. //Spirituality Today.org.// Web. 6 November 2014. **SE#4**

[|Pryor,Elizabeth B.]"Barton, Clara". //Americans National Biography online//__.__ Feb 2005. //American Council of learned societies//. Published by Oxford University press. Web. 19 November 2014. **SE#5**

[|Steven,Patsy]"Clara Barton." //Garden of Praise//. 2006. //gardenofpraise// Web. 16 October 2014. **SE#3**