In Seeking to Expand the Reach of the Reach of the Red Cross, Clara Barton Sketches the History of the Founding of the Red Cross in a Plea for Funding Addressed to the House and Senate of the United States

She sought Congressional funding for that purpose, saying that the Red Cross could take the burden of disaster relief off of the government

In 1882, with the American Red Cross just chartered by Congress and approved by President Arthur, there was immediately relief work at hand. Barton realized that local Red Cross branches would need to be established around the country to be on site for local emergencies. She sought Congressional funding for the purpose. The form she chose was to present a petition, and a draft Bill. They contain her history of the Red Cross, and her audacious plan to make the Red Cross the center for disaster relief in the country. This is a draft in her own hand. It is a total of 13 pages long.

Autograph document, 13 pages, no date but 1882. The petition, which is directed to the House and Senate, starts out with a history of the Red Cross, showing her view of the events. “That in so much as the Geneva Treaty for the relief of the sick and wounded in war has been signed by the President, and ratified by the Senate, and since funds are required to enable the National Association contemplated by said Treaty to perfect its organization, the attention of Congress may properly be called to its needs.” Following that is Barton’s fascinating description of the formation of the European Red Cross societies. It mentions European war time relief efforts, and says those experiences showed the need “of more efficient and comprehensive means than any then existing.” This led to call for a meeting “to consider ‘A proposition relative to the formation of some permanent organization for the relief of wounded soldiers’.” Decisions were made at the meeting to move forward, and thus “was begun and wrought out the Geneva Treaty, and the plan of all the national permanent relief, or Red Cross organizations.” She then lists the nations who were by then ratified and participating, from Great Britain to Russia to Italy to Argentina, and so many more.

She next turns to the topic of the Red Cross of the United States. There was interest in having the U.S. join the Geneva Treaty in the mid-1860s, but “In the midst of our Civil War, as we were at the time, the subject was very naturally and properly declined.” Post-war efforts were fruitless, and the International Red Cross became “discouraged in its efforts with the United States, but finally it was decided to present it again through Miss Clara Barton and accordingly a letter was addressed to President Hayes by said committee asking his attention to the subject. This letter was duly presented by Miss Barton…” But this effort came to nought, “until the incoming of the Garfield administration, when it was yet again presented by Miss Barton…. Miss Barton had written and spoken of it upon all appropriate occasions, and she found in President Garfield their assurance that the Treaty should be adopted, whereupon in June last, a meeting was called…and was formed the present American Association of which, at the suggestion and by the nomination of President Garfield, Miss Barton was elected president…” She continues, “Meantime President Garfield was assassinated and Mr. Blaine retired from the cabinet, but the views entertained by them were fully shared by President Arthur and Secretary Frelinghuysen. On March 1st the treaty was duly signed and on the 16th of the same month it was unanimously ratified by the Senate.”

She explains that originally Red Cross societies were only authorized to deal with “miseries arriving from war,” but that resolutions establishing the national societies “permit them to organize in accordance with the spirit and needs of their several nationalities. By our geographical position and isolation, we are far less liable to the disturbances of war than are the nations of Europe, but no country is more liable than our own to great overmastering calamities, various, widespread and terrible. Seldom a year passes that the nation is not brought to realize this fact: epidemics, fires, floods, droughts, famine, mining, and other disasters of great extent all bear upon us with terrible force. Like war, these events are entirely out of the common course of…necessities”, and their results in order to be effectively mitigated “must be met by a comprehensive, prompt, and methodical system of relief.” She then discusses the first efforts of the American Red Cross to deal with the forest fires in Michigan and the cost of $10,000.

The first branches of the Red Cross were formed. “These societies were organized through the personal activities of Miss Barton, and are now promptly collecting funds and material under the auspice is of the National Association, towards relieving the necessities of the suffering from the floods in the Mississippi Valley…But most prompt, liberal, and valuable assistance must always come from the associate societies to be located in the larger and more wealthy centers of population. The establishment of these societies is therefore a matter of the supremacist importance. Up to this time all the expenses of the Red Cross, including the printing, publication and organization of associated societies, traveling expenses, no less than the entire cost… have been paid out of the private purse of its president, no government, no person, or no organization having ever contributed any funds toward the furtherance and accomplishments of these objects. Is believed that with the proper means at hand, at least 100 efficient associate societies can be organized within the coming year.” She states that in other countries, the governments have provided funds.

Her desire: “In a word, that we may extend our organization and henceforth relieve the government from the obligation of responding to the constant appeals for humanity, which, in the absence of any instrumentality like that of the Red Cross, it must of necessity continue to assume. Assured that if the aid sought be granted, a system of accumulating funds and material through the charities of the people at large, can be eventually perfected…” Lastly she notes the organization of the American Red Cross, with her as president, Congressman William Lawrence as 1st vice president, Adolphus S. Solomons, a noted Jewish philanthropist as 2nd vice president, and Alexander Y.P. Garnett, President of the American Medical Association, as vice president for Washington, D.C.

She then turned to the Bill, which states: “Whereas: The Treaty of Geneva having been signed by the President, and ratified by the Senate, and a national association contemplated by said treaty under the name and title of the American Association of the Red Cross having been formed at Washington DC…, Therefore Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives that the sum of $25,000 be, and the same is, hereby appropriated out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated to enable the American Association of the Red Cross to extend its usefulness by the organization of associate societies throughout United States, with a view to accumulating funds and material in different localities with which to meet demands in emergencies of sufferers by war, pestilence, fire, flood, famine, and other national calamities. Provided, That the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the Navy, be ex-officio members of the Advisory Board of the American Association of the Red Cross…” This is the only hand-written history of the Red Cross by Barton that we have ever seen. Though it is undated, the text provides assurance that it was some time in 1882, after President Arthur’s proclamation in March.

It is not known whether the government provided this funding, but in time the Red Cross did as Barton predicted – made itself the preeminent provider of disaster relief in the country.