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Founder of the American Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross was founded in 1864 after the horrors of the battle of Solferino 1859) came to light. The Treaty of Geneva was signed by twelve nations and outline the humanitarian treatment of the wounded, prisoners of war, and non-combatants during the war. It also provided to the neutrality of both relief workers and the wounded themselves. Barton found it almost incomprehensible that the United States refused to sign the treaty. She lobbied Congress, promoted the Red Cross ideals to the public, and push for its ratification until 1882, when the Senate and President Arthur ratified the Geneva Convention.
Barton had founded the first local chapter of the American Red Cross in Dansville, New York, in 1881, and served as the President of the American Red Cross until 1904, eight years before her death. She was single-minded in her devotion to the organization, and continued to expand the influence of the Red Cross throughout her tenure. She knew that to be effective the relief efforts had to be rapid, since the need was immediate, and not tied to political influences.
In 1891 a building was erected in Glen Echo, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC which serves first as a place to store relief supplies and later as the headquarters of the American Red Cross. Eventually it also served as housing for Barton and her staff and her staff. Over time, Barton's unwillingness to delegate authority to others and the growing alienation felt by the local chapters led to her resignation as president of the Red Cross in 1904. |