Clara Barton

Civil War Nurse: Clara Barton (http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/docs-pix/clara-barton.jpg)

A hero? What is a hero? Every person has a different opinion about what a hero really is. Some say that Heroes do not exist. Some say their heroes are their parents, their favorite role model, and others such as Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Abraham Lincoln. Have you ever stopped and thought about a hero and what makes one? I propose that a hero is a person who goes out of their way to help others when they need it. There are a lot of people who could fit that definition, but for me, no other person fits this definition better than Miss Clara Barton. She was a Civil War Nurse in addition to founding the American Red Cross, which helps people of our country be prepared for a disaster that could occur at any time. Her heroic acts, her kindness, and her courage throughout the 19th century make her a true inspiration and a true hero.

Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born in the 19th century, on December 25, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts with her two brothers and two sisters. She was born a very shy and timid girl, though she was very smart and loved to ask lots of questions. Her two older sisters eventually became teachers, which inspired Clara to become a teacher too. As she grew older, she finally had her first experience with a patient. Her brother had fallen from a rafter when building their family a new barn. For two years, Clara nursed her brother back to health. She loved nursing a lot and then she took a great interest in it. She later joined the Union army as a nurse, to help others in need. She liked helping people, she was a caring person, and she went to great lengths to help others for the better.

A hero. What makes a hero so special? What makes Clara Barton such a hero? Her actions did, her determination, her regard for those around her. When Miss Barton joined as nurse, she was out in charge of helping the wounded soldiers from the Union Army also to scout for missing soldiers. She was willing to go on the battlefield, where all of the action was taking place and look around for wounded soldiers, risking her life, for the sake of others. She enjoyed helping all the soldiers. When she was with the army, she carried all of her medical supplies, allowing her to go beyond the lines and get to soldiers that needed her attention and help. She helped to heal many wounded soldiers, making her a hero, and earning the nickname, "The Angel on the Battlefield".

The American Civil War trudged on, until the surrender of the South to the North. It was said that all of Clara's dedicated work was wearing out her health, so her doctors recommended visiting Europe. For Miss Clara, there was never a day of rest from helping a person in need. When she was in Europe she did humanitarian work. This proves that she gave up a great time to help others. She returned from Europe with an exciting plan to develop an agency that could help people in disasters get the supplies they need. This idea eventually turned into the American Red Cross.

Founder of the American Red Cross: Clara Barton (http://www.gardenofpraise.com/images/clara.jpg)

The American Red Cross has become one of the biggest charities in the country, if not the world. Clara Barton's passion for helping others in need turned into a big success. She was president until the age of 83, where she died from natural causes. She left a legacy of dedication to nursing and women's rights. She left the American Red Cross which will always be seen as a symbol of hope to those in need of it. But most of all she left her ideals: to improve life whenever you get the chance and to help others in need, when they need it.

What a hero has with them is their legacy. All legacies are different; this is what made the hero remarkable, a person to remember. Miss Clara Barton has a great legacy. She showed us that helping out people is a great reward. She enjoyed what she did and expanded her passion to become one of the greatest charities in the country, the American Red Cross. She showed courage to her country during the war, risking her life to heal others. This was something that she loved and cared for, something that went very far. When she got the chance to improve something, she always took it.

If Clara Barton was still alive she would give students this advice, "I have an almost complete disregard of precedent, and a faith in the possibility of something better. It irritates me to be told how things have always been done. I defy the tyranny of precedent. I go for anything new that might improve the past." This means that when you get the chance to improve something which could benefit the future; improve it. She would also urge us all to put other people in front of ourselves.