May 21, 1881.<br />The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons.<br />Known as the "Angel of the Battlefield," Barton had extensive experience in humanitarian work.<br />Following the U.S. Civil War, she had been commissioned by <br />President Abraham Lincoln to conduct a prisoner of war search.<br />She succeeded in identifying thousands of Union soldiers dead at Andersonville.<br />Barton worked with the International Red Cross in <br />Europe in the early 1870s.<br />She remained the head of the American Red Cross until her death in 1912.
