40+ Inspiring Clara Barton Quotes From The American Red Cross Founder
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Clarissa Harlowe Barton aka Clara Barton was a hospital nurse during the American Civil War.
She is best known for founding the American Red Cross. Her work is particularly praiseworthy because she lived in a time where women weren't even allowed to vote.
Clara Barton was born in the year 1821 in the United States. She learned nursing at home since there was no nursing education available at the time.
Clara held a job as a patent clerk before her nursing career. She was the first substantial woman clerk in the U.S. Patent Office to have a salary equal to any male clerk.
When the Civil War sent America into complete chaos, Clara Barton decided to make better use of her skills as a nurse during the war and serve the country she was born in.
After the Civil War ended, she very briefly worked with the International Red Cross in Europe. Inspired by her experience in Europe, Clara Barton founded The American Red Cross.
We've collected the best Clara Barton quotes from the resilient lady in this article. If you'd like to read more quotes articles like Clara Barton quotes, then check out our curated lists of [Charlotte Mason quotes] and [caregiver quotes].
Clara Barton Famous Quotes
Here are some famous quotes from Clara Barton. These Clara Barton quotes are an inspiration to all.
1. "You glorify the women who made their way to the front to reach you in your misery, and nurse you back to life."
- Clara Barton.
2. "Let his work be that of angels, still it will not satisfy all."
- Clara Barton.
3. "Let me go, let me go."
- Clara Barton, (Her last words).
4. "The paths of charity are over roadways of ashes."
- Clara Barton.
5. "I always tried . . . to succor the wounded until medical aid and supplies could come up, I could run the risk."
- Clara Barton.
6. "Offering a hand up is not a hand-out."
- Clara Barton.
7. "I went to the Senate, accomplished nothing as usual."
- Clara Barton.
8. "If I were to speak of war, it would not be to show you the glories of conquering armies but the mischief and misery they strew in their tracks."
- Clara Barton.
9. "Everybody's business is nobody's business, and nobody's business is my business."
- Clara Barton.
10. "I wonder if a soldier ever does mend a bullet hole in his coat?"
- Clara Barton.
11. "An institution or reform movement that is not selfish, must originate in the recognition of some evil that is adding to the sum of human suffering, or diminishing the sum of happiness."
- Clara Barton.
12. "When I reached (home), and looked in the mirror, my face was still the color of gunpowder, a deep blue. Oh yes I went to the front!"
- Clara Barton.
13. "I am glad to know that somewhere they have learned their duty to their country, and have come up neither cowards nor traitors."
- Clara Barton.
14. "You called us angels. Who opened the way for women to go and make it possible?"
- Clara Barton.
15. "I don’t know how long it has been since my ear has been free from the roll of a drum. It is the music I sleep by and I love it."
- Clara Barton.
16. "Others are writing my biography, and let it rest as they elect to make it."
- Clara Barton.
17. "I have never for a moment lost sight of the humble life I was born to."
- Clara Barton.
18. "I write letters home for wounded soldiers, not political addresses."
- Clara Barton.
19. "My business is stanching blood and feeding fainting men; my post the open field between the bullet and the hospital."
- Clara Barton.
20. "I cannot afford the luxury of a closed mind."
- Clara Barton.
21. "What could I do but go with the Civil War soldiers, or work for them and my country?"
- Clara Barton.
22. "The patriot blood of my father was warm in my veins."
- Clara Barton.
23. "I defy the tyranny of precedent. I go for anything new that might improve the past."
- Clara Barton.
24. "I have an almost complete disregard of precedent, and a faith in the possibility of something better. It irritates me to be told how things have always been done."
- Clara Barton.
Inspirational Clara Barton Quotes
Here are some motivational Clara Barton quotes from the American Civil War nurse. These Clara Burton quotes show how driven she was and would inspire you to do the same.
25. "I shall remain here while anyone remains, and do whatever comes to my hand."
- Clara Barton.
26. "People should not say that this or that is not worth learning, giving as their reason that it will not be put to use."
- Clara Barton.
27. "I have lived my life, well and ill, always less well than I wanted it to be but it is, as it is, and as it has been; so small a thing, to have had so much about it!"
- Clara Barton.
28. "They can no more know what information they will need in the future than they will know the weather two hundred years from today."
- Clara Barton.
29. "The surest test of discipline is its absence."
- Clara Barton.
30. "Economy, prudence, and a simple life are the sure masters of need, and will often accomplish that which, their opposites, with a fortune at hand, will fail to do."
- Clara Barton.
31. "You must never so much think as whether you like it or not, whether it is bearable or not; you must never think of anything except the need, and how to meet it."
- Clara Barton.
32. "The door that nobody else will go in at, seems always to swing open widely for me."
- Clara Barton.
33. "I ask neither pay or praise, simply a soldier’s fare and the sanction of your Excellency to go and do with my might, whatever my hands can find to do."
- Clara Barton.
34. "This conflict is one thing I’ve been waiting for. I’m well and strong and young, young enough to go to the front. If I can’t be a soldier, I’ll help soldiers."
- Clara Barton.
35. "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."
- Clara Barton.
36. "I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them."
- Clara Barton.
Clara Barton Red Cross Quotes
Here are some Clara Barton quotes about the American Red Cross.
37. "The Red Cross is a part of us--it has come to stay--and like the sturdy oak, its spreading branches shall yet encompass and shelter the relief of the nation."
- Clara Barton.
38. "It cannot await the ordinary deliberation of organized bodies if it would be of use to suffering humanity, it has by its nature a field of its own."
- Clara Barton.
39. "It is an organization of physical action, of instantaneous action, at the spur of the moment."
- Clara Barton.
40. "I founded the American Red Cross."
- Clara Barton.
41. "The Red Cross in its nature, it aims and purposes, and consequently, its methods, is unlike any other organization in the country."
- Clara Barton.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Clara Barton quotes then why not take a look at funny nurse quotes, or Dorothea Dix quotes.
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Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".
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