Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross (Signature Lives: Civil War Era)

The Civil War (1861–1865) divided the people of the United States. Torn over the issues of slavery and states’ rights, the North and the South battled against each other in the deadliest American conflict ever fought. When the war ended, the country worked to unite and heal. Some of the people who lived and served during the Civil War era are among the nation’s most beloved heroes. From a young age, Clara Barton wanted to help people. Her kind nature led her to the battlefield to care for the wounded soldiers of the Civil War. After the war, she eventually traveled to Europe, where she encountered the International Red Cross. Seeing the impact it had providing aid in Europe, Barton worked to create a similar organization in the United States. Her persistence and determination were rewarded when she founded the American Red Cross.