Barton, Clara

Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born December 25, 1821, in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Her father, Captain Stephen Barton, was a farmer, horsebreeder, and respected member of the community. Her mother, Sarah, managed the household and taught Barton the importance of cleanliness. Barton was the youngest of 5 children. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Barton resigned from the Patent Office to work as a volunteer. She advertised for supplies and distributed bandages, socks, and other goods to help …

…central administration. On May 12, Barton resigned. For the next 8 years, she lived in her home at Glen Echo, Maryland. Clara Barton died on April 12, 1912, from complications of a cold. The mission of her life can be summed up in her own words, "You must never so much as think whether you like it or not, whether it is bearable or not; you must never think of anything except the need, and how to meet it."