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Although Henry Dunant had suggested in 1864 that Red Cross societies provide disaster relief as well as wartime services, Barton became its strongest advocate in the years that followed. During the Third International Red Cross Conference in Geneva in 1884, the American Red Cross proposed an amendment to the Geneva Treaty calling for expansion of Red Cross relief to include victims of natural disasters. Although some national societies were dubious, the resolution passed and became known as the «American Amendment» to the Geneva Treaty of 1864. Because of work like this in support of the Red Cross Movement, several countries honored Barton with decorations, such as the German Iron Cross for her relief work in the Franco-Prussian War and the Silver Cross of Imperial Russia for the supplies provided during the famine of 1892.

The American Red Cross moved in a new direction near the end of Barton’s tenure as head of the organization when it delivered supplies and services to Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Recipients of Red Cross aid included members of the American armed forces, prisoners of war, and Cuban refugees. This was the first time that the American Red Cross provided assistance to American armed forces and civilians during wartime.

A Life of Contrasts

I n addition to leading the Red Cross, Barton maintained interests in other fields, such as education, prison reform, women’s suffrage, civil rights, and even spiritualism. H er force and independent spirit created opponents, but her charm attracted many loyal followers. S

he was struck by periods of severe depression throughout her life but always seemed to revive quickly when a major calamity called for her services. S he rose early and worked late into the night. S he was said to be somewhat vain about her appearance, particularly her hair, although she did not consider herself a pretty woman.

S he liked dashes of bold color on her clothing, especially red. «It's my color,» she once said.

Barton had a talent for words. Ready to spell three-syllable words when she started school at the age of four, she wrote voluminously throughout her life, often daily. She was also a highly skilled speaker. Veterans attending her lectures were often moved to tears as she vividly described battlefield scenes from her Civil War days. Her charisma alone could rally volunteers to meet whatever crises threatened the country.

C lara Barton circa 1904 by J. E. P urdy, Boston Massachusetts.

B arton resigned from the American Red Cross in April 1904. D espite these strengths, mounting criticism of her management style, abilities, and age caused Barton to resign as president of the American Red Cross in 1904. L

eaving the organization she had created, she immediately turned her attention to establishing the National First Aid Association of America and served as its honorary president for five years. T his organization, though small and short-lived, emphasized basic first aid instruction, emergency preparedness, and the development of first aid kits. Though Barton had promulgated these activities at the Red Cross before her retirement, it was not until several years later that the organization absorbed them into its own broad array of health and safety programs.

Clara Barton published several books about the beginnings of the American Red Cross and the Red Cross Movement. She also wrote The Story of My Childhood, intended as one of a series of short autobiographies detailing aspects of her life which she never completed. She died on April 12, 1912, at her home in Glen Echo, Maryland, and was buried in the Barton family cemetery plot in Oxford, Massachusetts.

Barton’s family donated her papers and awards, along with numerous mementoes, to the Library of Congress. The National Park Service manages what is now the Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo which is open daily for tours. Barton’s legacy to the nation-service to humanity-is reflected in the services provided daily by the employees and volunteers of the American Red Cross throughout the nation and in troubled spots around the world.

Conclusion

C lara Barton was the subject of innumerable sketches and books, many merely eulogistic and even fanciful. S he herself wrote The Story of My Childhood (1907), as well as enlightening accounts of her work, such as The Red Cross in Peace and War (1899).

M ost useful for general purposes is Ishbel Ross, Angel of the Battlefield: The Life of Clara Barton (1956). W illiam E. B arton, Life of Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross (2 vols., 1922), is adulatory but reproduces revealing letters.

P ercy H. Epler, The Life of Clara Barton (1915), details her life as it appeared to her contemporaries.