Clara Barton was nicknamed "Angel of the Battlefield" for her extraordinary work with wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Her most lasting legacy, however, was the establishment of the American Red Cross, a relief organization which still exists today.

Clara Barton was born on December 25, 1821, the youngest of Stephen Barton and Sally Stone's five children. By all accounts, Barton was a painfully shy child, although always stunningly brilliant. Her older brothers and sisters (the next eldest was 10 years older than Barton) coddled her and taught her, so that she was able to read and write at a very early age. Barton's first encounter with nursing occurred at age 11, when her brother slipped from a barn roof and suffered catastrophic injuries. Barton cared for him for two years.

At age 15, Barton began her first career as a schoolteacher. Her family had guided her towards this profession, hoping that it...