Book Report On Clara Barton Essay, Research Paper

Book Report

Leni Hamilton, Clara Barton Founder, American Red Cross, Chelsea House Publishers, New York, 1988.

Clara Barton attacked many social problems of the 1800?s. From creating a free school, to being on the front lines helping soldiers in the Civil War, to creating the American Red Cross, Clara Barton was a humanitarian. She fought for what she believed in and because of her never-ending fight for people, the world is a different place.

Clara Barton was born during 1821 in Massachusetts. As a young child, Barton learned a great deal of schooling from her older siblings; she learned a wide variety of different subjects. She seized every educational opportunity that she was given and she worked hard to receive a well rounded-education. Clara Barton would later use her education to create her own school and eventually help start an organization that is still used today. As a young child, Clara was extremely shy; nevertheless, after many years she was able to overcome this. Even as a young child Clara thrived helping others. She tended to her sick brother who was severely injured by a roofing accident on a regular basis. The skills she learned from helping her brother proved to be used again when she was on the front-line of the Civil War helping wounded soldiers.

At the age of 18, Miss Barton became a schoolteacher. She taught at numerous different schools around Massachusetts. Clara noticed in one particular town that many of the students did not attend school that greatly distressed her. She wanted all children to have the same educational opportunity that she had when she was growing up. Eventually, Barton started her own school. It was free. However, she did not stay there for a long period of time. Clara only taught for a matter of ten years, teaching had exhausted Barton and she longed for a change in her life. She left the teaching field to move onto another field. Barton moved to Washington DC and she became a clerk in the US Patent Office.

When the Civil War broke out, Barton chose to resign from her position in the US Patent Office. She started working on the battlefield as a volunteer. At first her basic job was to distribute bandages and war supplies to the wounded soldiers. Barton took her job to another extreme. Barton was given permission to distribute supplies directly to the front-line of war after writing countless letters to her contacts asking for their support in what she wanted to do for her country. She continued her job of volunteering on the front-line and helping wounded soldiers without fail until the end of the Civil War. She was known by many, especially soldiers, to be very sympathetic and helpful. Many people called her ?the Angel of the Battlefield.? She always gave attention to all of the soldiers and did everything that she could to make their experience more bearable. Not only did she help bandage up wounded soldiers, but she also looked out for their own welfare. Barton would be the only nurse riding on a train full of injured soldiers with her intent to help feed and nurse all of the soldiers while they were on the train. She would do anything in her power to help the soldiers in any way that she could. After the Civil War, Miss Barton started a letter writing campaign in search of missing soldiers as well as lobbying for the rights of ex-slaves and women?s right to vote.

Due to health reasons, Miss Barton traveled to Europe for some rest and relaxation. While, she learned of the Red Cross. To learn more about the Red Cross Program, Barton followed some people who volunteered for the Red Cross during the Franco-Russian War. She ministered to many sick people in Europe and aided many people who had suffered through disasters. While doing this, Barton learned more about the Red Cross and, as time went by, she became determined that the Red Cross was something that the United States needed. When it was time for Clara to return home, she brought back all of the information that she would need to start the first Red Cross in the United States of America.

Upon her return to the United States, Clara Barton fought for the passing of a Treaty that would help sick and injured soldiers, the Treaty of Geneva. Finally, the treaty passed and Barton was able to focus more on the establishment of the Red Cross. Barton made speeches and distributed brochures along with educating the public about the Red Cross. At last, in 1881, the National Society of the Red Cross was formed. The American Red Cross was finally off the ground. This organization not only helped in times of war, but it helped in times of peace and natural disasters. Clara Barton served as president of the Red Cross for 23 years to follow the creation of this group. She held a very important position. She was in charge of relief work for many of the disasters that occurred in the United States. However, Barton did not do just that, she would help the Red Cross and the nurses in any way that she could. She would help wounded people or do anything that would help people get back on their feet. From floods, to earthquakes, to explosions, even something that seemed little and unimportant, the Red Cross was there to help whenever there was a great need for it.

Finally, after all of her work with the Red Cross among countless other things, Clara Barton retired from the Red Cross. Barton created the National First Aid Society, which was created for the purpose of helping accident victims. Miss Barton returned to Maryland where she would spend the rest of her life. She would relax and do many things that she had not gotten the chance to do in many years such as gardening and learning more about some subjects that had greatly interested her. Clara Barton died in 1904 at the age of 79.

Clara Barton Founder, American Red Cross was a wonderfully informative book about a woman who many people would not know much about. The book shows in great detail what Clara Barton stood for and what she believed in. It highlights all points in her life. Everything that Clara Barton did was given equal attention and was also given great detail. The book was very educational about Clara Barton?s life and what she fought for and believed in.