Clara Barton's Role In The Civil War

A Civil War is a battle between the same citizens in a country. The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the independence for the Confederacy or the survival of the Union. By the time Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1861, in the mist of 34 states, the constant disagreement caused seven Southern slave states to their independence from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy, generally known as the South, grew to include eleven states. The states that remained devoted to the US were known as the Union or the North. The number one question that is never completely understood about the Civil War is what caused the war. There were multiple events that led to the groundbreaking, bloody, and political war.

During the Civil War, they had to have many medicines, operations, and surgeries done to themselves or others in order to survive (Jenny Goellnitz, Paragraph 1). Some of these medicines we still use today. Medical technology and scientific knowledge have changed dramatically since the Civil War, but the basic principles of military health care remain the same. The deadliest thing that faced the Civil War soldier was disease. For every soldier who died in battle, two died from disease.

but also one of the most horrific as well. However, it shaped the way that the country is to

1. In what ways did Clara Barton help during the Civil War? What roles did she play?

On 1854, Clara moved to Washington D.C. to work at the United States Patent office to become a patent clerk. She fought for women’s rights, as the office fired workers just because they were women. In April 1861, when the Civil War was amidst, Clara decided to buy supplies for the soldiers at battle. When she asked the generals if they needed medical assistance, they turned her down. However, it didn’t stop her from trying. She solicited acquaintances from Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey to send medicine, bandages, food, and clothes. She also worked with her sister, Sally, to collect supplies. She used these items to help wounded soldiers. Over time, Clara created a support network that spanned across the Union. Barton came to the rescue at many battlefields, such as the Second Battle of Bull Run (1862), the Battle of Antietam (1862), the Battle of Petersburg (1865), and many, many more. During her time as a nurse, she did not have time to find a spouse or have children. Clara considered the soldiers as family. Clara was unselfish, only accepting items that other soldiers had. When a general offered a rug for her tent, she refused, for other soldiers didn’t have one. She felt guilty receiving more aid than the people on the battlefield fighting for their lives. Barton once said, “I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and

Clarissa Harlowe Barton, Who owns like to be called Clara, was nicknamed "angel of the battlefield" for her courageous acts during the Civil War (HistoryGuy 1). Before, during and after the Civil War, Barton was a key figure in shaping America's history. Clara Barton was a nurse, teacher, inspirational speaker and above all, a strong woman willing to serve others. Clara Barton's growing up experiences care for wounded soldiers in the Civil War and starting of the Red Cross in the United States, shaped her into becoming one of America's most valued historic characters.

After the Civil War Clara Barton supported families impacted by the Civil War by establishing the of the Office of Missing Soldiers in Washington, DC. Her office worked dilligently to identify missing and killed soldiers in order to contact the distraught familes. ​

The Civil War in the United States was one of the most significant events in the history of the country. This is due not only to the outcome it provided, but more importantly to the actual events that took place during the war, the aspects it dealt with, and the questions it raised concerning humanity, courage, democracy, human rights, slavery, unity and union. Throughout the war, the causes, the tactics, and the context changed. Further, the motivation of the soldiers fighting in both armies changed in a decisive manner. Despite all, this remains one of the bloodiest events in the history of the American states.

During the Civil War, slaves within the Confederacy, had to go through many challenges to survive. One of their challenges included finding the health care they needed to survive the harsh conditions of labor. They suffered from poor sanitation resulting to infections in open wounds and different types of diseases such as smallpox, measles, influenza and more, all depending on where their plantation was settled. Seeking health care was very hard because they were slaves. Some were left with very little options or no options at all. Most of the slaves either depended on their master for healthcare, try to escape the slave owning states to the Union/ the North, or volunteer to be enlisted for the war.

Clara Barton was a nurse in the Civil War and helped take care of soldiers, whether they were on the field or not. She brought her own supplies to help the soldiers. She brought food and bedding supplies. Barton also helped the soldiers in hospitals and the confederate soldiers in jail, as well. Clara Barton impacted the health of soldiers on and off the field.

Hand in hand with any war, you have numerous deaths, injuries, and the need for surgeries. That being said, the need for doctors, nurses, and hospitals is always urgent. This is the way it has always been, and the Civil War is a good example of that. Even though there were hundreds of thousands of deaths, I feel like the Civil War had a long-term impact on America’s health and well-being.

(Dixon, Ina) It was a treacherous act to transport the fallen off of the battle field, and the task to keep the wounded alive was even more arduous due to the unsanitary conditions. Wounds and disease were the biggest killer during the Civil War. (Richards, Rebekah) The deadly minnie balls, which were designed to cause maximum damage, devastated limbs and bone - wounds that were near “impossible to mend.”

The number is astonishing on the amount of deaths that occurred during the civil war. I believe at that time due to the low number of trained doctors on both sides it was a lot of trial and error. As the article stated many doctors only training was a manual written by Dr. Samuel Gress furthermore people lied about being doctors (Civil war…, n.d.). It appeared there was no regulation at all however doctors did try and found ways to get men treated quicker with the creation of field hospitals(Civil war…, n.d). In addition amputations were done regularly to reduce infection. Therefore I believe without the civil war it would take more time for the cities and states to implement better conditions for the poor. Furthermore post war had important

Have you ever wondered how medicine during the Civil war is different than how it is now? During the Civil War there wasn’t much medicine. It was known as the Middle Age of Medicine. Diseases went through the camps really fast which was the main cause of death. Doctors didn’t know much about diseases and medicine at this time.

The Civil War was one of the most bloody and divisive conflicts in United States’ history. While the conflict may have spanned over four years, its origins date back to the birth of the nation. The fracturing of the early political system on the basis of location, party, economic visions were the beginning of fundamental differences between the states. As the political, social, and economic patterns developed throughout the nation, the regional and ideological differences only deepened, leading to the inevitable division of the Union and its populace.