There were countless women throughout American History who wished to make an impact on American Wars, but strict gender roles prohibited their involvement. Some responded by attempting to pass themselves off as men, entering wars such as the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. These women made a small, individual impact, despite the expectations of their gender, but their names are not commonly known today. Fame certainly wasn’t their intention, but it can be a somewhat superficial measurement of their success. Clara Barton is a very different story, because while she believed that a woman is capable of the same things that a man is, she believed that a woman’s accomplishments should be her own.
Barton grew up with a military father and no siblings close in age, which lead to an early development of responsibility and patriotism. When she was very young, her brother was injured in a barn raising. She dedicated herself to being his nurse for two years, during which time she familiarized herself with new skills and rarely saw the outside of her own home(History Net). …show more content…
It was this experience and dedication that she would later apply to make the changes she wished to see in her country. She admitted, at one point, that her mindset of gender-equality wasn’t some sort of revolutionary statement, or moment of clarity, but simply the way that she had always seen the world. She wrote: “I must have been born believing in the full rights of women to all the privileges and position which nature and justice accord her in common with other human beings. Perfectly equal rights--human rights. There was never any question in my mind in regard to this” (LaFantasie, 2014). This is what separated Barton from other women in American history; Barton set out only to good, and in the wake of her deeds she set an example to be followed. On the other hand, many of the women who intended to set an example for women ended up playing a ruthless political game, like Alice Paul (Woloch, 257). Barton’s first deed was opening New Jersey’s first ever free public school. She began the year teaching with only six students, and ended the year with a school of six hundred (Burton, 17-18). By the end of the year the school board decided that, despite her clear success, Barton would not be able to run the school without a man to oversee her work. They decided to bring in a male principle at thrice her annual wages. Her timeless response was recorded, “‘I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man’s work for less than a man’s pay’” (LaFantasie, 2014). With that, she moved with a friend to Washington, where she became the first woman clerk in the Federal Patent Office, and she worked for equal pay (Francis, 19-21). While the role itself had little significance, it did introduce her to a number of influential people who would make contributions to her cause down the line. When the fighting started, and Fort Sumter fell, Clara found her cause. There was much initial confusion about how she would serve her country; she very well might have considered enlisting as a man, but ultimately this didn’t fit her mentality of equality. She would serve her country as herself, in the most helpful way she could. Being a particularly independent woman, she shied away from other women-nurse groups and instead took the most direct approach that she could think of. She would spend time gathering supplies, and then travel straight to the battle where she would assist anywhere she could. In Massachusetts she put out newspaper ads and solicited women’s societies asking for supply donations to assist wounded soldiers. Having taken this all on herself, she had only her small apartment for storage, which was soon filled with medical equipment, food, lanterns, and anything else she could think of; this progressed through her career to include endless possible needs, including magazines and newspapers for wounded soldiers(Jones, 8)(Lowry, 2013). With the help of a few assistants she moved the supplies to the Virginia Union field hospitals. While this impacted countless mens’ lives, Barton had a need to help
Barton grew up with a military father and no siblings close in age, which lead to an early development of responsibility and patriotism. When she was very young, her brother was injured in a barn raising. She dedicated herself to being his nurse for two years, during which time she familiarized herself with new skills and rarely saw the outside of her own home(History Net). …show more content…
It was this experience and dedication that she would later apply to make the changes she wished to see in her country. She admitted, at one point, that her mindset of gender-equality wasn’t some sort of revolutionary statement, or moment of clarity, but simply the way that she had always seen the world. She wrote: “I must have been born believing in the full rights of women to all the privileges and position which nature and justice accord her in common with other human beings. Perfectly equal rights--human rights. There was never any question in my mind in regard to this” (LaFantasie, 2014). This is what separated Barton from other women in American history; Barton set out only to good, and in the wake of her deeds she set an example to be followed. On the other hand, many of the women who intended to set an example for women ended up playing a ruthless political game, like Alice Paul (Woloch, 257). Barton’s first deed was opening New Jersey’s first ever free public school. She began the year teaching with only six students, and ended the year with a school of six hundred (Burton, 17-18). By the end of the year the school board decided that, despite her clear success, Barton would not be able to run the school without a man to oversee her work. They decided to bring in a male principle at thrice her annual wages. Her timeless response was recorded, “‘I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man’s work for less than a man’s pay’” (LaFantasie, 2014). With that, she moved with a friend to Washington, where she became the first woman clerk in the Federal Patent Office, and she worked for equal pay (Francis, 19-21). While the role itself had little significance, it did introduce her to a number of influential people who would make contributions to her cause down the line. When the fighting started, and Fort Sumter fell, Clara found her cause. There was much initial confusion about how she would serve her country; she very well might have considered enlisting as a man, but ultimately this didn’t fit her mentality of equality. She would serve her country as herself, in the most helpful way she could. Being a particularly independent woman, she shied away from other women-nurse groups and instead took the most direct approach that she could think of. She would spend time gathering supplies, and then travel straight to the battle where she would assist anywhere she could. In Massachusetts she put out newspaper ads and solicited women’s societies asking for supply donations to assist wounded soldiers. Having taken this all on herself, she had only her small apartment for storage, which was soon filled with medical equipment, food, lanterns, and anything else she could think of; this progressed through her career to include endless possible needs, including magazines and newspapers for wounded soldiers(Jones, 8)(Lowry, 2013). With the help of a few assistants she moved the supplies to the Virginia Union field hospitals. While this impacted countless mens’ lives, Barton had a need to help