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Representative Women of New England: Clara Barton

A biographical sketch of Clara Barton published while she was alive, showing how contemporaries told her life story.

This sketch records how Clara Barton's reputation and life story were presented to the public during her lifetime.

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About this source

What it is

This is a biographical sketch of Clara Barton included in a book profiling notable women of New England. It was written during her lifetime and covers her birth, family, education, and early teaching career.

Why it matters

The sketch shows how Barton's achievements were being recorded and celebrated even before her death. It reveals what contemporaries thought was important about her life: her family background, her education, and her pioneering work as a teacher before she became known for Civil War nursing and the Red Cross.

Look closer

  • What details does the sketch choose to highlight about Barton's early life?
  • Why might a book about 'representative women' have included Barton?
  • What is left out of this early section that you might expect to be included?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Clara Barton on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Black-and-white studio portrait of an older woman with dark hair pinned up in curls, wearing a dark dress with an ornate white lace collar and a dark brooch at the neck. She faces left with a slight closed-mouth smile. Copyright stamp reads 1904, J. E. Purdy, Boston.Photograph

Primary source

Clara Barton, 1821-1912

J. E. Purdy · 1904

Front facade of a two-and-a-half-story wood-sided house with a steep central gable, two stone end towers with dark red conical roofs, a full-width front porch with white columns, and a second-floor balcony. Wooden benches sit on the porch.Artifact

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Clara Barton House

1891

Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of an older woman with dark hair pulled back, wearing a high lace collar, a dark pendant brooch at the throat, and a dark dress, facing the camera against a dark background. Copyright text in the lower left corner reads 1904, J. Eyre Purdy, Boston.Photograph

Primary source

Clara Barton, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing front

J. Eyre Purdy · 1904

Plain solid dark blue book cover with a slightly darker spine strip along the left edge. No title, text, or images are visible.Book

Primary source

The Red Cross in Peace and War

Clara Barton · 1898

Front cover of a bound book with dark brown spine and tan paper boards. A white label at top left reads '973.771 At9 cop. 2'. A faint 'Digitized by Google' watermark appears at bottom right.Document

Primary source

A List of the Union Soldiers Buried at Andersonville

Dorence Atwater; Clara Barton · 1866

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