Was Clara Barton a Bad Ass? [from American History Hotline]

Summary

---

American History Hotline

Episode: Was Clara Barton a Bad Ass?
Host: Bob Crawford
Guest: Susan Rosenvald, historian at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum
Original Air Date: May 4, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Bob Crawford tackles the question, "Who was Clara Barton?" with historian Susan Rosenvald. Prompted by a listener's curiosity, they unpack Barton’s life, focusing on her critical contributions during the Civil War as a nurse and humanitarian, her postwar work locating missing soldiers, her role in founding the American Red Cross, and her impact as a women’s rights advocate. The conversation blends vivid stories from Barton’s time on the battlefield, her dogged persistence facing resistance, and her legacy in American history.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Clara Barton's Civil War Origins

Timestamps: 01:45–10:16

• Immediate Response to Crisis: Barton became involved after hearing about the attack on the 6th Massachusetts Regiment during the Baltimore riot, a formative early Civil War conflict (02:05). The troops were from her own community in Massachusetts.
• Supplying and Comforting Troops: With soldiers stranded and without basic necessities, Barton sprang into action, bringing supplies and using her own funds, later rallying friends to help gather essentials for the soldiers housed in the Capitol building (04:57).

Quote:

“They were there with no underwear, no change ... no way to shave. I mean, they literally had nothing. So she grabbed anything she thought they could use ... and started using her own money to buy goods...”
— Susan Rosenvald (04:57)

• Grassroots Humanitarianism: Barton’s initial “nursing” was more about caregiving than formal medical procedures, stemming from earlier experiences tending to her injured brother (05:51).
• Scaling Up Efforts: As donations poured in, Barton ran into logistical hurdles and famously secured quartermaster support for battlefield delivery, packing entire wagons to bring aid directly to the frontlines (07:04, 08:00).

Quote:

“As soon as she sat down, she started to cry ... 'well, see, I have these two warehouses full of goods that I would like to deliver ... but I don't have transportation.' ... His response was, 'did you say two warehouses full?’”
— Susan Rosenvald paraphrasing Barton’s exchange with the Quartermaster (08:00)

2. On the Battlefield: Antietam and Beyond

Timestamps: 10:16–14:04

• Battle of Antietam: Barton’s first major battlefield experience (10:20), where she provided both supplies and hands-on aid during the bloodiest single day in American history. She even provided lanterns so surgeons could continue operating after dark.

Quote:

“She ran out onto the battlefield and helped pull people off. ... She just came to deliver supplies ... but ... she jumped right in and said, let's keep going.”
— Susan Rosenvald (11:00–11:48)

• Zero Formal Medical Training:
  Despite her pivotal role, Barton had no formal training — “None. Zilch, zilch, zilch, zero.” (12:29).

• Nickname, 'Angel of the Battlefield':
  Soldiers and the press dubbed her this because she was a constant presence wherever she was needed, always providing comfort and aid (13:36).

3. Medical Innovation Catalyzed by War

Timestamps: 17:19–18:45

• Civil War as a Medical Turning Point:
  Susan details how the Civil War spurred medical record-keeping, case notes, and the advancement of battlefield medicine (17:19). The military led the way in innovations that filtered into mainstream healthcare, from antibiotics to vaccines.

4. The Missing Soldiers Office

Timestamps: 18:45–24:51

• Postwar Search for the Missing:
  Barton responded personally to thousands of inquiries from families seeking missing loved ones, eventually helping locate about 23,000 of some 60,000 missing soldiers (18:45–21:19).

Quote:

“President Lincoln put an ad in a paper ... saying, 'Hey, if you need information about a missing loved one, send it to Clara Barton and her address and she will assist you with this.'”
— Susan Rosenvald (19:38)

• Andersonville Prison:
  Barton’s efforts traced many dead to infamous camps like Andersonville, working with figures like Dorrance Atwater to publish roles of the dead for family closure (21:41–24:51).

Quote:

“They probably would have told you they'd rather be in hell.”
— Bob Crawford, on the conditions in POW camps (23:11)

5. Establishing the American Red Cross

Timestamps: 24:51–27:46

• European Inspiration:
  Barton’s postwar trip to Switzerland introduced her to the International Red Cross. On returning, she lobbied for US participation in the Geneva Convention and eventually founded the American Red Cross (25:08).
• Red Cross as Early Disaster Relief:
  Functioning as a proto-FEMA, Barton’s Red Cross responded to natural disasters and emergencies, rapidly deploying aid and funds (26:47).

Quote:

“She just had it right with her. She could buy what she needed.”
— Susan Rosenvald, on Barton’s readiness to spend cash in emergencies (27:31)

6. Disaster Relief and Recovery Philosophy

Timestamps: 27:46–29:19

• Focus on Psychological and Material Recovery:
  Barton’s work at sites like the Johnstown Flood went beyond immediate aid; she established long-term recovery programs and built temporary housing. She even salvaged and reused materials to maximize resources (27:52).

7. Controversy and Advocacy

Timestamps: 29:19–31:44

• Facing Sexism and Rivalry:
  Despite wartime recognition from some in power, Barton faced opposition from male officials and peer jealousy, especially from women who wanted similar recognition (29:36).

Quote:

“It was really kind of sad the way she was treated ... especially when she was in South Carolina. ... [a general] sent her away ... because women shouldn't be in that kind of situation.”
— Susan Rosenvald (30:13)

• Women’s Suffrage Advocacy:
  Barton was active in suffrage rallies and societies in the 1880s, contributing to the movement for women’s voting rights (30:56).

8. Clara Barton's Legacy

Timestamps: 31:44–32:43

• Lasting Influence:
  Barton’s name endures on parkways, buildings, and as founder of a vital humanitarian network. The conversation closes with gratitude and an invitation for future, deeper explorations of her legacy.

Quote:

“Now Deborah can drive on that parkway. ... and we can be proud ... and grateful for all the amazing work she did.”
— Bob Crawford (31:56)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On her tenacity:
  “She filled [the wagon] to the brim, jumped on the wagon, and away they went. So that was her first battle experience.” (08:54, Susan Rosenvald)

• Zero formal training:
  “None. Zilch, zilch, zilch, zero.” (12:29, Susan Rosenvald)

• Facing obstacles:
  “Nobody could keep up with her.” (29:54, Susan Rosenvald, about rivals and detractors)

• On suffrage:
  “She was very, very involved in that, yes.” (31:33, Susan Rosenvald)

---

Timeline of Major Segments

• 01:45–05:37: Barton's early Civil War involvement; providing for troops after the Baltimore riot.
• 07:04–09:06: Efforts to distribute supplies; Barton’s first battlefield experiences.
• 10:20–12:26: Battle of Antietam; her actions on the field.
• 13:36–14:12: "Angel of the Battlefield" nickname.
• 18:45–24:51: Missing Soldiers Office; searching for the missing and working at Andersonville.
• 24:51–27:46: Founding of the American Red Cross and its early disaster response.
• 27:52–29:19: The Johnstown Flood and evolving philosophy of disaster recovery.
• 29:36–31:44: Challenges, detractors, and Barton’s role in women’s suffrage.

---

Tone & Takeaway

The discussion is lively, conversational, and rich in storytelling. Susan Rosenvald’s deep knowledge and Bob Crawford’s approachable style make Barton’s story accessible. The episode underscores Barton’s trailblazing role as a humanitarian, an advocate, and a relentless doer—her status as a "bad ass" in American history cemented through courage, empathy, and resolve.

“We just touched the highlight ... I could talk about this forever.”
— Susan Rosenvald (32:16)

---

Transcript

[Susan Rosenvald]

As soon as she sat down, she started to cry. So he said, what's wrong? How can I help you? And she said, well, see, I have these two warehouses full of goods that I would like to deliver to the troops, but I don't have transportation, you know. His response was, did you say two warehouses full?

[Bob Crawford]

You've reached American History Hotline. You ask the questions, we get the answers. Leave a message. Hey there, American History Hotliners. Bob Crawford here. Happy to be exploring some history with you once again today. Remember, if you have a question about American history, record yourself using the voice memo app on your phone and email it to americanhistoryhotlinemail.com that's americanhistory hotlinemail. We'll find you some answers. Okay, now on with the show. Today's guest is Susan Rosenvald. She's a historian who has worked with the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum. Susan, thank you for joining me today.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Thanks, Bob. It's great to be here.

[Bob Crawford]

It's great to have you here. Okay, Susan, our question today is from Deborah in Great Falls, Virginia. She says I drive on the Clara Barton Parkway almost every week, but I have to admit I don't know who she is. I think she might have been a nurse during the Civil War. Who is Clara Barton? It's a great question, isn't it?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Absolutely, yeah.

[Bob Crawford]

Okay, so, Susan, if you don't mind, I'd like to start in 1861.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Sure.

[Bob Crawford]

It's in the aftermath of this Baltimore riot. It was an early melee in the days leading up to the Civil War. Can you tell me what happened and how Clara Barton was involved?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Sure. That's an easy one. So President Lincoln called for troops to help put down the rebellion. And so one of the first groups of militia to respond to the call was the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. And they happened to be from Clar Barton's neighborhood. They were from Worcester, Massachusetts, and she lived close by and had family there. So they were involved in the riot. Okay. Because back then the railways were very different from today. They were on different sized tracks. They were privately owned. So you would have to get off a train and get on a train and get off a train. And occasionally they would not be close together. There was a horse drawn trolley that was supposed to take you from one station to another, but there were too many people. Right. With the 6th Massachusetts, so some of them had to walk. And there were rioters in Baltimore. Baltimore was what they call a sec ish town for sure. So they are marching down the street to get to the Other train station when they were attacked by rioters was a horrible disaster. They lost everything that they had. I believe the band even lost their instruments. And Washington, D.C. at that time was not ready for the troops that Lincoln called for. So they ended up being housed in the US Senate, right in the Capitol building. And so when Clara heard through the grapevine that this had happened, she ran straight there to start helping them with whatever she could. So she grabbed everything she thought they might want and ran down to the Capitol building and, you know, started assisting them.

[Bob Crawford]

So just to kind of give context for our listeners, this melee in Baltimore, it was made up of these people called copperheads, right? These like Democratic copperheads who want war. And, you know, so just to give some context, right, it was like coalition of anti war Republicans and. And Democrats who. Who did not believe in the war. They wanted peace between the north and South, Correct?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yes.

[Bob Crawford]

Okay. And so. So what was. So in the early days, you say she grabbed supplies to comfort. To give comfort to these troops that are stationed in the Senate. Give us a little more. A little more detail on that.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Sure. Well, they had all lost their baggage. So they were there with no underwear, no change of any of their underwear or socks, no way to shave. I mean, they literally had nothing. So she grabbed anything she thought they could use. Right. So it would be hand towels and handkerchiefs, socks, if she could find them. And she did begin to go asking for friends because she didn't have enough things to hand out to them and started using her own money to buy goods for them from the local merchants.

[Bob Crawford]

I think this is a good time to talk about her life before that moment. What was her training? What do we know about her early life and her training and why she became a nurse?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Her early life, she did take care of her brother David, who was much older, 10 years older than her, and he had fallen off a barn roof and hurt himself. So she ended up nursing in that very different sense of what a nurse does for him at their home in Massachusetts for a couple of years. So that meant bringing his food, changing his bedd, helping him write letters, you know, reading books to him. That was the sort of thing that nurses did during that time.

[Bob Crawford]

She was a caregiver.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yes, a caregiver.

[Bob Crawford]

So eventually she makes it to the battle, the front lines of the battle. Talk about that. That transition from just making sure everyone had what they needed. The soldiers there in the Senate being stationed, being brought into the Capitol, to actually making her way to the front lines. Because that's. This is now we're talking about different kinds of. Of nursing. Different forms, sure.

[Susan Rosenvald]

So when those gentlemen from Massachusetts were in the Senate and she realized, right, Washington, D.C. was flooded with people. It was kind of chaotic. They weren't prepared for all these people. So she started writing to her in the Northeast and saying, hey, could you send some goods down for me? Because, you know, it's crazy down here. Initially she only got. And she went and found people from Massachusetts to give this stuff too, but she saw the need, so she just started giving it to anyone. So she actually had to rent a couple of warehouses to store all these things that were delivered from all over the Northeast. So she went to the Quartermaster General's office. At that time, Montgomery Meigs was the quartermaster General. He wasn't there, but his deputy was there, who was a Colonel Daniel Rucker. She sat outside his office all day and finally she got an audience with him. And as soon as she sat down, she started to cry. So he said, what's wrong? How can I help you? And she said, well, see, I have these two warehouses full of goods that I would like to deliver to the troops, but I don't have transportation and I really want to go deliver them when and where they're most needed. So, you know, his response was, did you say two warehouses full? So she said, uh huh, you know, and that was it. He got her clearance to go deliver, deliver these goods to the battlefield. So that's exactly how it started. Right. A battle was coming up. He sent her a large wagon, a supply wagon. She filled it to the brim, jumped on the wagon, and away they went. So that was her first battle experience.

[Bob Crawford]

So did she have people helping her?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Oh, yes, there were a lot of people that were helping out on the battlefield. She had a wonderful reverend from the Washington D.C. area. Area who was her, quote, unquote, assistant. Right. Or if you want to say, he was kind of her escort, because women didn't travel to places by themselves. So between him and her, they got out to the battlefield, they started distributing the supplies. And of course, the problem with the Civil War medically regarding battles was that it was thousands of people becoming injured in a very short period of time. And some of those were critically injured. So everyone who was there, you know, who felt they were capable had to do the nursing. Right. They're stabilizing people, they were making sure they got food, writing letters, reading to them, comforting them, you know, getting the doctor if they seem to be getting suddenly worse, that sort of thing.

[Bob Crawford]

What was the first battle that she was involved With.

[Susan Rosenvald]

So the first battle that she belonged to was in, it was the Antietam campaign, Right. So the bloodiest day in American history. Over 23,000 people were wounded. And they said that five people went down in the cornfield in less than a half an hour. So she was really felt really fortunate because she actually arrived the day before. And so she set up camp near her favorite group, the 21st Massachusetts, that was under Burnside. And the next morning, you know, she asked, okay, what's going to happen? They couldn't tell her she heard firing at like 4:30 in the morning. So she got in her wagon and she went towards the. The firing. And that was amazing because for Clara Barton, right, she was like 51120 pounds. She ran out onto the battlefield and helped pull people off. Okay. Even though she just came to deliver supplies. Right. Because she was at a farm next to the cornfield or just behind the cornfield. And then that evening, the surgeon there was very unhappy because had to stop conducting surgery since he didn't have light enough light. Right. To do a surgery. So she said, well, you know, don't despair. I have lanterns in my wagon. And he was like, what? So she brought in the lanterns, and of course, they kept going with their surgeries. Then after the assistant surgeons fell out due to pure exhaustion, she jumped right in and said, let's keep going. And the surgeon was amazed. He was like, well, you know, I can't believe you can help me. And she was like, if you can work, I can work. So she was extremely helpful. At the Battle of Antietam, she stayed for three days after the battle.

[Bob Crawford]

What was her formal medical training?

[Susan Rosenvald]

None. Zilch, zilch, zilch, zero.

[Bob Crawford]

She didn't even watch a YouTube video.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Oh, no.

[Bob Crawford]

I mean, she was. And was she involved in. When I think of battlefield medical situations, I think of amputations.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Absolutely. Amputations were super important because they didn't have antibiotics at that time. So if you got an infection and then that would turn into gangrene or sepsis, you would die. Right. If you had these jagged wounds with stuff in them and all that, there was no way. They didn't really understand bacteria at that point. Dr. Lister back in Germany was just starting to publish his research on it. So, yeah, they didn't wash their hands, but your best way to survive if you had a shattered limb was to have it amputated. So that's what they did.

[Bob Crawford]

Tell me about the nickname angel of the Battlefield.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Sure. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, one of the Soldiers after the war called her the angel of the battlefield because she was with the army of the Potomac for a while. And everywhere this person went, he happened to see her and he saw that she was delivering supplies and nursing and, you know, running the course. Right. So, yeah, she was always there.

[Bob Crawford]

Did she ever meet or are there any recorded interactions between her and Abraham Lincoln?

[Susan Rosenvald]

No, they never met. Right. She sat outside his office. That was back in the day when if you wanted to see the president, you walked to the White House and said, I'd like to see the President. And if he was available, you got to see him. So, you know, it's a war and she is going to the White House and, and sitting there all day hoping to get an appointment. So she never got to see him at the White House. She got to see him across the room at his second inaugural. She was one of the people who attended that, but she couldn't get close enough to him to say hello or introduce herself or anything.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human

[Commercial Voice 1]

spring into deals with stay green premium 2 cubic foot mulch. 5 bags for $10 plus stay fresh with up to 35% off. Select major appliances and save an additional $100 on select laundry pairs. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Lowe's we help you save valid through 56 mulch. Offer excludes Alaska and Hawaii. See Lowes.com for more details.

[Podcast Announcer]

Visit at your nearby Lowe's.

[Commercial Voice 2]

Picture this me, Reese Witherspoon in London ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewards for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?

[Commercial Voice 1]

Visit Wells Fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply.

[Podcast Announcer]

Your social media feed delivers plenty of advice, but it doesn't know you. It doesn't ask questions. It doesn't give physical exams or order tests doctors do. At the American Medical association, we believe the best care starts with a real conversation with someone who understands the science and your unique health. So stay curious, ask questions. But when it's time to make decisions, make them with a doctor. Learn [e-mail] that's amahealthvshipe.org this is Andrea

[Commercial Voice 3]

Gunning from Betrayal Travel Smarter, Not Harder and America's Best Value Inn by Sinesta with convenient locations from coast to coast and value packed comfort at every turn. It's a practical choice for road trips, quick getaways and everyday travel that keeps things simple without sacrificing comfort. And when you're a Sonesta travel Pass member, staying at America's best value inn means earning points towards free nights, upgrades and more every time you stay. Go to Sonesta.com to book your stay and unlock the best rates with Sonesta Travel pass here today, Rome tomorrow. Join [e-mail] Terms and conditions apply.

[Bob Crawford]

When we think about soldiers winning wars, in your opinion, how important are nurses and medics like Clara Barton in war?

[Susan Rosenvald]

It's critical. So today on the battlefield, I mean, the medical systems of our military are very innovative and have cured or figured out almost everything to do with battlefield injuries, even bleeding, Right. They had recently in the last 10 years, they figured out how to really stop bleeding. But the only problem they really are still working very hard on is getting bad wounds to heal completely, right? So that's the problem. If someone gets injured in the worst way, they have trouble getting that to heal. So otherwise. And I mean, they developed vaccines that became useful to the general public. They were the first to use antibiotics and that was done before they were available to the general public. And because of the success, they were able to offer that to the general public. It was the first time that they ever kept medical records and the first time they wrote case notes about their cases and they would all send that in to Washington to the surgeon general's office. So all those things started during the Civil War.

[Bob Crawford]

Clara Barton attempted to find some 60,000 missing soldiers after the Civil War. How successful was she?

[Susan Rosenvald]

She was incredibly successful. So what happened was she couldn't go back out on the battlefield anymore and she was looking for something to do. And people started sending her letters saying, hey, do you know you were at this battlefield because you know, she had been reported all over the press all over the United States, as, you know, an angel at the battlefield. So she starts getting these letters, right, from people who were concerned hadn't heard from their soldier, heard that he might have been killed and that sort of thing. So she started looking for them. And that's how the missing soldier office started. It became a real little agency. They wouldn't make her an official government agency, but President Lincoln put an ad in a paper, paper saying, hey, if you need information about a missing loved one, send it to Clara Barton and her address and she will assist you with this. Right? So it was a great thing that she did she actually went to Annapolis. So when soldiers were wounded in the Civil War, they would go to a rehabilitation center. At the end of the Civil War, all of the prisoners of war were in really, really rough shape. Right. That. The Civil War is famous for that. So they would come to a camp in Annapolis called Parole. Camp Parole. And that's another story for another time. But she went to Annapolis and she would walk from tent to tent interviewing people, finding out where they're from, finding out if they knew any of these people from their state, if they knew any about what had happened to them. So it kind of grew from there. She actually published five large posters with all the names of the missing by state and sent them to every post office in the country. And so she got a lot of information from that. And so she ended up around 23,000 soldiers she was able to locate. Now 13,000 of those soldiers were at Andersonville. So she went to Andersonville. And actually, that's a whole nother story.

[Bob Crawford]

Well, let's pause here.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yeah, Right.

[Bob Crawford]

We've got all day. Right?

[Susan Rosenvald]

No, you don't. I could do this forever. Okay, so you got the week of the month.

[Bob Crawford]

Yes. So Andersonville is like this notorious Confederate prisoner of war, prisoner of war camp, right?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yes.

[Bob Crawford]

Like, conditions were. I mean, you just. You just try to imagine the. This is the way I've. I understand it. And please correct me if I'm wrong, but if, like, it's. It's the worst. It's hell on earth. It's.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Right.

[Bob Crawford]

It's. It's the worst conditions known to mankind. Right.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Incredibly horrible conditions. Yes. Because it was way overcrowded. They were in the middle of Georgia, in the middle of nowhere in Georgia and had no way to get supplies. Right. Because the south was devastated, so they couldn't get the critical food. Right. They couldn't get food, clothing, anything like that. And they were overcrowded. The disease, you know, diseases went rampant, killed so many people. It was just horrible.

[Bob Crawford]

You can. You can go online and look at pictures of. Of prisoners who were held there. And pictures tell the story.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Right, Right. But to be fair, I do have to say that there were some Northern US Prisoner of war camps that were, I would want to say worse because they had access to supplies. Right. And they didn't give them out. People froze to death in the prison outside of Chicago, Illinois, for, you know, just weather exposure. So, yeah, all of those prisoner war cans were just hell on earth. Right. It's like, why am I. Why do I have to go through this? They probably Would have told you they'd rather be in hell.

[Bob Crawford]

Right, Right.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yeah.

[Bob Crawford]

So. So. And here comes Clara Barton.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yes. And so at the end of the war, she was invited to go on an expedition with the US Army's Missing Soldiers Department, who were going to create a national cemetery in Andersonville. So she didn't really actually do a lot of identification, but she did do a lot of administrative work. She tried to work with the locals and getting supplies and asking them questions and all that to get a better understanding of what happened at that camp, that sort of thing. So she was very, very helpful. But she got the list, and the US army got the list because one of the prisoners was a young man named Dorrance Atwater, and he had copied the roles of the dead at Andersonville because he had great handwriting. So he was pegged to do this by the Union Army. And so he snuck that out and he was able to really, you know, incredibly assist with the mess down in Andersonville. And he had become friends with her. He wanted to make sure that the roles were published so that families would have closure. But the US army didn't want that published. So there's a whole story about Doran's Atwater by itself. That's just incredible.

[Bob Crawford]

Let's get to the American Red Cross.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yes.

[Bob Crawford]

I give blood as much as I can, and it's through the Red Cross. I advise everyone to do that if they can.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Absolutely.

[Bob Crawford]

What was Clara Barton's role in creating. Establishing the American Red Cross?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Right. So after the Civil War, she was so exhausted and worn out from that, she had befriended a young man from Switzerland who had come to the United States to fight in the war. So he told her, hey, go over and visit my family. You can stay there as long as you need to. They are going to welcome you with open arms. So she did that. While she was there, she met Dr. Louis Appiah, which who was involved in the International Red Cross. One day, some gentlemen came to the place she was staying and asked for her. And she thought, no, why are they asking for me? It was some of the founding members of the International Red Cross who wanted to ask her why the Geneva Convention wasn't signed by the United States. We actually had representatives at it, but nothing ever came of it. So she had never heard of them. And she was very excited about this because she wanted to keep rolling in humanitarianism, go back and do that in the United States. And here was an already formed organized system for doing that that was created in Europe. So she told them, I will absolutely find out when I get back. It took her a couple of years to get back, but she did. And she started a campaign for the United States to sign the Geneva Convention, which took a few years.

[Bob Crawford]

So at the time, wasn't the American Red Cross. Did it work almost like fema. FEMA does today?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Sure, sure. The American Red Cross still provides the same services, for the most part, that it did back then. Right. The difference today is there are so many humanitarian organizations that have been founded and we do have fema. So their role isn't the primary role it used to be, but yeah, they still provide emergency communications, first aid, just like Clara Barton did. They were goods deliverers. Right. They got things. If they needed money, they had a large amount of cash at where. Where Clara lived so that she could respond to emergencies very quickly. And so she had cash in hand. Right. She didn't have to worry about checks or banks or anything like that. She just had it right with her. She could buy what she needed.

[Bob Crawford]

So what were some of the major disasters that Clara Barton was personally involved in?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Oh, wow. Well, the interesting thing and incredible thing about Clara Barton is before the American Red Cross was officially recognized, they had already gone to a wildfire disaster, I think it was, in Michigan, and started helping out with that. The Johnstown flood comes to mind because she was instrumental. And the incredible thing about her there was she began to realize that people don't just need a handout and you walk away. They need recovery. And recovery includes psychological. Make them feel like there is a future. Right. Help them recover from the disaster, not by just, you know, emergency supplies, but helping them get back on their feet mentally and physically so they could move on. After the disaster, she brought in wood and built a temporary hotel which stayed there, I believe, for over a year. She had it dismantled and taken to a warehouse so that she could reuse that wood. She was extremely frugal. And then she, you know, she really started helping people recover. So that was the first place she did that. Gosh, there are so many places.

[Bob Crawford]

Sounds amazing. It sounds like a lot of men in power realized how amazing she was and they embraced that.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yes.

[Bob Crawford]

And they worked with her to kind of support what she was trying to do. Did she have her detractors?

[Susan Rosenvald]

Oh, boy, did she. Right before the war, she. Well, this isn't probably the most fair thing to say, but yes, that was her biggest disappointment. And stress was over men who thought, you know, the little woman's place was in the home. She also had problems with women who were serving at the front because they were either jealous or they wanted that for themselves. Right. They wanted to say that they were doing what she was doing, but, you know, nobody could keep up with her. So, you know, it was really kind of sad the way she was treated, especially when she was in South Carolina. There was a general there who decided that women shouldn't be on the battlefield. So even though she had done tremendous things, she even helped pull people off the battlefield. At the Battle of Fort Wagner, he sent her away. He said, all women have to go to this recovery hospital further back, you know, 20, 30 miles from where the fighting was taking place, because women shouldn't be in that kind of situation.

[Bob Crawford]

I think about this time period, Susan, and I'm thinking about the suffragettes.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Yes, she was very involved. Absolutely. In 1888, she became very involved with the suffrage movement. She spoke at rallies in the northeast of the United States. She belonged to one of their major parties. So if you don't know about the suffragette, they had a big society, and then it split in two because some people had, you know, they just had different views. Right. They all wanted women to get the right to vote, but they had a little bit different ideas about how to do that. So she, unfortunately, had to take sides on that. But she was very, very involved in that. Yes.

[Bob Crawford]

Susan, this has been absolutely incredible. I didn't know anything about Clara Barton before we spoke. I knew the name, just like Deborah driving on the Clara Barton Parkway.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Right.

[Bob Crawford]

But now. Now Deborah can drive on that parkway. We can all drive on that parkway or see her name, and we can be proud of all the work and grateful for her for all the amazing work she did. So thank you so much for. For coming on here and speaking with us today.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Well, you know, as I was saying earlier, I could talk about this forever because we just touched the highlight.

[Bob Crawford]

It sounds like they're. We're scratching the surface and we may have you back again. Okay, sure.

[Susan Rosenvald]

I would love to come back sometime.

[Bob Crawford]

Well, I've been talking with Susan Rosenvald. She's a historian who has worked with the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum. Susan, thank you for joining us today on the American History Hotline.

[Susan Rosenvald]

Thank you much.

[Bob Crawford]

You've been listening to American History Hotline, a production of iHeart podcasts and Scratch Track Productions. The show's executive producer is James Morrison. Our executive producers from IHEART are Jordan Runtal and Jason English. Original music composed by me, Bob Crawford. Please keep in touch. Our email is americanhistoryhotlinemail.com if you like the show, please tell your friends and leave us a review in Apple Podcasts. I'm your host, Bob Crawford. Feel free to hit me up on social media to ask a history question or to let me know what you think of the show. You can find me at bobcrawford Bass. Thanks so much for listening. See you next week.

[Commercial Voice 1]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The sound of a Seatbelt it's one of the most important sounds in our car. It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe. The more our kids see us put on our seatbelts, the more natural it is for them to put theirs on too. Make it a priority. Buckle up every time. Hear the sound. Make it a habit paid for by nhtsa.

[Commercial Voice 4]

If you work in university maintenance, Grainger considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off. And Grainger is your trusted partner, offering the products you need all in one place, from H Vac and plumbing supplies to lighting and more. And all delivered with plenty of time left on the clock so your team always gets the win. Call 1-800-GRAINGER visit grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Bob Crawford]

Hear that?

[Podcast Announcer]

That's the sound of your skin silently crying out for hydration. Luckily, Dr. Teals has just the thing to get you glowing in no time. Meet Dr. Teals Skin renewal Deep Hydration, made with a proprietary triple magnesium complex, plus skincare actives for 50% improved skin hydration after just one bath, the words dry and dehydrated are about to be wiped from your vocabulary. Find Dr. Teals all dressed in blue in your local bath aisle. Dr. Teals Yep, you needed that picture

[Commercial Voice 2]

this me, Reese Witherspoon in London, ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, so I earn rewards wherever I book travel 5 times points with hotels, 4 times with airlines, 3 times on restaurants and other travel, and 1 point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?

[Commercial Voice 1]

Visit wells fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.