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Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
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Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
In June of 1889, Clara Barton (1821-1912) and 50 American Red Cross volunteers assist the survivors in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, after a massive flood kills over 2,000 residents. The response to this disaster was one of the first major relief efforts organized by the American Red Cross, which Barton founded in 1881. She led the American Red Cross for 23 years, helping establish the organization as a renowned resource of humanitarian aid. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
| May 1881 | Clara Barton forms the first branch of the American Red Cross and serves as its president. |
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| August 1887 | President Cleveland appoints Clara Barton to represent the United States at the International Red Cross Conference in Germany. |
| June 6, 1889 | Barton helps with relief efforts after the devastating flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. |
| 1896 | Barton sails to Turkey to aid the victims of the Armenian massacre. |
| February 1898 | Barton sets off to Cuba to help the injured during the Cuban insurrection. |
| September 17, 1900 | Barton arrives in Galveston, Texas and directs the distribution of relief supplies to victims of the flood. |
| March 1904 | Red Cross mission of mercy covers the Russo-Japanese War. |
| May 14, 1904 | Barton retires after serving twenty three years as president of the Red Cross Society. Mrs. John A. Logan is named as successor. |
| April 1905 |
Barton forms the National First Aid Association of America designed to spread awareness of the importance of first-aid in civilian life. |
