Biography of Clara Barton

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 The Duty of Clara Barton

motivation , influence and accomplishment

The Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest in American history . In the midst of a battle that rages on , often senselessly , a woman works relentlessly to help the wounded and dying . The suffering from battle wounds , psychological trauma and infectious diseases is almost unimaginable . The woman bends to treat another wounded soldier when a stray bullet passes through her sleeve and kills the soldier . The nurse was Clara Barton . She works on , undaunted

Why , time

and time again , would she put herself in these dire life-threatening situations ? Soldiers referred to Barton as the angel of the battlefield . No doubt she was a humanitarian . Barton was also driven by other unique qualities and experiences , however

An examination of Barton 's life can help shed light on the motivations of this unique leader . Three broad questions will be addressed in this - Why did she do it , What did she face ? And how did these events affect her future pursuits

Why Did She Do It

The seeds for the person Clara Barton would become were planted decades before the Civil War . Her full name was Clarissa Harlowe Barton . She was barn in Oxford , Mass . On Christmas Day , 1821

A critical experience in Barton 's life occurred when she was only eleven years old . Her brother David became seriously ill . Clara would assume the primary job of caring for him . It would prove to be a formative experience for the young girl . She was faced with suffering for the first time in her life . The empathy and thought process that would lead to her future career was triggered . She also discovered the need for knowledgeable nurses , along with her own talent for the job

Even so , Clara did not begin her career as a nurse . Barton became a schoolteacher at the age of seventeen . Her inquisitive , independent nature served her well as she crafted a successful career in education

The onset of the Civil War changed everything . The impact of this war on the psyche of all Americans cannot be underestimated . The war was brutal on a scale never before seen . New weapons and tactics would result in the deaths of more than 600 ,000 by the end of the war (Nofi 1992 . Many more were maimed , psychologically traumatized or morphine addicted . Very few American families were left untouched by the suffering

Like many who would eventually enter the nursing corps , Clara Barton simply could not stand to watch the suffering without taking action . The same instincts that compelled her to care faithfully for her brother overcame her again . Refusing to take any pay , Barton went directly to the front lines . Initially there was some criticism and doubt that she could withstand the brutality of war . Barton herself writes of this in a poem

What did they go for ? - Just to be in the way

They 'd know not the difference between work and play (Barton...