Today in 1881, humanitarians Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons found the American National Red Cross to aid victims of war and natural disaster. The organization was headed strongly by Barton as she did extensive medical work during the Civil War. Barton consistently aided wounded and sick soldiers and earned the name “Angel of the Battlefield”. In 1865, Barton was tasked by President Lincoln to look for fallen soldiers on the battlefields. With her extensive knowledge, Barton was able to successfully identify over thousands of men.
While visiting Europe in 1870, the Franco-Prussian war had broke out, and Barton worked with the International Red Cross to aid all she could. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1873, Barton pushed for an American branch of the Red cross and was successful. In 1900 the American Red Cross got its first U.S. federal charter, with Barton leading the origination until she passed away in 1912.
