On May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons. In 1870, Barton worked with the International Red Cross in Europe during the Franco-Prussian War, nursing the injured. When she returned to the U.S., she teamed up with humanitarian Solomons. The two of them formed an American organization to provide aid to victims of wars and natural disasters. The organization received its first federal charter in 1900; Barton was president into her 80s.
