Who Was Clara Barton?

Clara Barton proved that even shy people can do brave things! Take a closer look at the farm girl who bravely nursed soldiers during the Civil War and who went on to found the American Red Cross.

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 hospi…