Miss Clara Barton
{photo by Matthew Brady, from The U.S. National Archives}
We are moving on from the “War Between the States,” but before we leave it behind we want to highlight the inspiring life of Clara Barton, Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross. We’ll also take a quick look at the Reconstruction years. Here are your optional links to learn more about these topics:
VIDEOS:
Clara Barton – Mini Biography – Learn about the “Angel of the Battlefield:”
Introducing Clara Barton – From the National Museum of Civil War Medicine:
Clara Barton: The Beginnings of the American Red Cross:
Storyteller Tim Lowry: Clara Barton, Angel of the Battlefield – This is a 20-minute video for kids, telling the story of Clara Barton's work on the battlefied serving the Army of the Potomac:
Reconstruction – Here’s a 15-minute excerpt from PBS’s “A History of Us” about the Reconstruction era:
Civil War Reconstruction – This 25-minute documentary is from Discovery Education:
Andrew Johnson | 60-Second Presidents – A quick look at the President during Reconstruction following the Civil War:
President Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan – President Johnson's lenient Reconstruction Plan for the South does not sit well with Republican members of Congress in the North:
American Experience: Reconstruction – Here’s Part 1 of this long documentary:
Reconstruction: A Moment in the Sun – This 1-hour PBS documentary, from Tennessee Civil War 150, is about the years of fighting over how to reunite the divided country.
WEBSITES:
Clara Barton National Historic Site – An online virtual tour and activities, requires Adobe Flash.
What Would Clara Barton Wear? – Tips and ideas for dressing like Clara Barton (this might come in handy for History Day!), including how to make your own Red Cross pin.
What Would Clara Barton Bring? – See which first-aid supplies Clara would have on hand, and learn how to make your own bandages.
The Women Who Went to the Field – A poem written by Clara Barton.
How well do you know Clara Barton? – An online quiz.
History Mystery: Reconstruction – Conduct research and use their clues to solve a mystery about the Reconstruction era.
Civil War and Reconstruction Review – an online “Rags to Riches” game.
Images of Reconstruction – View a few photos at the top of this article.
America’s Reconstruction – “From Slave Labor to Free Labor” photo gallery
Primary Source Documents – From the Civil War Trust, here are documents from the time of Reconstruction:
Views of a Former Slave from Tennessee in 1865 (PDF)
Perspective of Teachers at African American Schools in 1864 (PDF)
Views of a Former Confederate Supporter in 1865 (PDF)
View of Southerners against the Civil Rights Bill of 1875 (PDF)
Records of the Freedmen's Bureau in Alabama, 1866 (PDF)
