Clara Barton
and the Angels of the Battlefield
Who was Clara Barton and what did she do?
- Founder of the Red Cross, which was started in 1881.
- Cared for the soldiers injured at Antietam and other Civil War battles.
- Reduced deaths by teaching the doctors to wash their hands after caring for one patient and going on to another one. Organized the soldiers by how badly they were hurt so they could get the care they needed when they needed it.
- Nicknamed "the angel of the battlefield" for her work. Other nurses were considered angels of the battlefield too for all the lives they saved.
- Clara gained a love for nursing at the age of 11. Her brother was severely ill and not excepted to live so she spent the next two years nursing him back to health.
Clara Barton
This is a self- portrait Clara had painted of her.
The first set of nurses in the American Red Cross
This is a picture of Clara Barton and the other nurses that joined the American Red Cross when it was first founded.
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 and is still around today. Not only does it help wounded soldiers but also families in need by providing shelter, food, and health services.
Clara's Sister Nurses
Clara Barton took this picture of the other nurses she worked with at New York Red Cross Hospital in 1898.
Wounded Soldiers at a Civil War battle
Clara Barton is taking care of two wounded soldiers.
Reuniting Families
Whenever Clara was working in the war department, she helped worried family members find their missing loved ones.
Clara's Grave Marker
Clara took care of the wounded soldiers in the Civil War, Franco-Prussian War, and Spanish-American War. Today she is still recognized as "the angel of the battlefield."
Angels of the Battlefield
The Civil War nurses, including Clara, are treating the soldiers.