Special Thanks to Ashley for the email!
Just a question, I was wondering how Clara Barton is a scientist and what her discoveries are. I am curious to learn about her.
Thank you,
Ashley
Clara Barton was an incredibly important historical figure to the United States. She is not a scientist in the literal sense in that she worked in a laboratory or studied out in the field. But she made an enormous contribution to science because she founded the American Red Cross. She was born in Oxford, Massachusetts in 1821.
Clara became well known after her work during the Civil War in the 1860’s. We all know that women were not allowed to do many things during that time period, and that included being on the battlefield. However, Clara received special permission from President Lincoln to go behind the frontlines and provide medical attention to the injured soldiers. After the war, she also helped locate missing soldiers for worried families. She was able to locate around 30,000 men!
Clara’s doctors recommended that she take a trip to Europe in order to have some much-needed rest. While there, she became inspired by Europe’s International Committee of the Red Cross and the help that they provided during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. The thing she especially liked was the idea that he ICRC provided help to ALL victims of war, no matter which side they were fighting for.
When she returned to the United States from her trip to Europe, Clara worked on establishing the American Red Cross. She presented it to President Garfield as not only a means of assistance during times of war, but also as an organization that provided relief during natural disasters. The American Red Cross was officially founded on May 21, 1891, with Clara as the first President.
Today, the American Red Cross not only plays a vital role in disaster relief, but also provides a variety of services, classes, and therapies that are used in healthcare and by the general public. The Red Cross is the nation’s leading source of donated blood. They run nationwide blood drives and the blood donated is screened to make sure it is safe and then transfused into patients that are either ill or victims of an accident. Blood transfusions save countless lives every day. The Red Cross also sponsors biomedical research facilities that make many important discoveries in the field of healthcare and medicine. In addition to these provisions, the Red Cross also holds classes that are available to the public that teach very important skills in areas such as first aid and CPR. The Red Cross still remains as a frontrunner in disaster relief. When Hurricane Katrina hit, they single handedly raised over 2 million dollars to help the people of New Orleans.
Clara Barton was truly an amazing woman. Not only did she stand as an example of human compassion, but she also serves as an icon for women’s rights. Her efforts of getting the Red Cross together in the first place have lead to many important advancements in the field of health care, medicine, and disaster response.
For more information on Clara Barton and the American Red Cross, be sure to check out these websites:
Red Cross Museum: Clara Barton
Red Cross Homepage
A Brief History of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross Resource for Teachers and Students
Wikipedia Search: Clara Barton
Wikipedia Search: American Red Cross
And remember, as always, to think, explore, learn!
~Sara
