Clara Barton and The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that has made its mission to help people worldwide and help make our world a better place. The American Red Cross has supported the military families of America, provided Disaster Relief, Health and Safety Training and Services, Blood Drives, and other endless services since 1881. Clara Barton and a few close associates founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881.

Clara Barton heard of the global Red Cross organization while staying in Europe after the Civil War. (History.com, “Clara Barton”) After Barton returned home from Europe she began campaigning for an American Red Cross organization. Twenty-three years later Clara Barton continued to lead the American Red Cross to provide domestic and foreign disaster relief, and helped the United Stated military in the Spanish-American War. She also successfully campaigned for the formation of relief work during times of peace as a partner with the global Red Cross network. In 1904, Clara Barton resigned her title from the American Red Cross. In 1900 the American Chapter of the Red Cross was awarded its first Congressional Charter and a second Charter in 1905. Another version of the Charter was adopted in May of 2007, that Charter restated the original purpose for the organization. “Before the First World War the American Red Cross added first aid, water safety, and health nursing programs for the public.” (Bertol, 59) When war broke out the American Chapter of the Red Cross saw an extraordinary growth. When the war ended the American Red Cross centered its service to Veterans and intensified its safety training, accident prevention, home care for sickly people, and nutritional educat...

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