Who Was Clara Barton?

Clarissa Clara Barton was a shy girl who grew up to become a teacher nurse and humanitarian. At a time when few women worked outside the home she became the first woman to hold a government job as a patent clerk in Washington DC. In 1864 she was appointed lady in charge of the hospitals at the front lines of the Union Army where she became known as the Angel of the Battlefield. Clara Barton built a career helping others. She went on to found the American Red Cross one of her greatest accomplishments and one of the most recognized organizations in the world.