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The History of the Red Cross
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In 1862 Henri Dunant, a young Swiss businessman, wrote "A Memory of Solferino" in which he described the horrible carnage he had witnessed on a battlefield in Italy in 1859. Dunant proposed a neutral organization devoted to the care of the sick and wounded of armies at war.

In 1863, Dunant's efforts let to the formation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the convening of an international conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The symbol of the Red Cross on a white background (the reverse of the Swiss flag) was chosen to represent the organization. From this conference evolved the Red Cross Convention of 1864.

During this period the United States was being ravaged by Civil War. Clara Barton, a schoolteacher, was one of many individuals who volunteered to help care for the wounded of both sides through an organization called the United States Sanitary Commission. She went to Europe after the war where she learned of the Red Cross Movement and participated in relief efforts for both soldiers and civilians during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.

Upon returning home, Clara worked to form a Red Cross Society in the United States. In 1881, with the help of friends, she founded the American Association of the Red Cross. The following year, the United States ratified the Geneva Convention, giving the Red Cross official sanction.

The American National Red Cross was chartered by the Congress of the United States to:

1.   Assist the government in fulfilling obligations undertaken in signing the Geneva Conventions,

2.   Serve as a link between members of our armed forces and their families, and

3.   Provide relief for victims of disaster in this country and abroad and to prepare for disasters.