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The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton, who was an American smuggler during the Civil War. Before the start of WWI, the Red Cross was a small organisation without very much business. That was soon to change. Within the first few weeks of the war, the Red Cross sent out the Mercy Ship to Europe. The Mercy Ship was a Navy hospital ship that carries 170 surgeons and nurses. The Red Cross worked in 25 foreign countries. They worked to save millions of soldiers injured in the fighting. Often the war was so intense that the doctors and nurses would take care of soldiers on either side. 8 million people ended up volunteering, and only 12,000 staff were paid. 101 tons of relief supplies were shipped to Red Cross workers overseas. By the end of the war, about one-third of the United States either worked for the Red Cross or was a donor. The Red Cross' involvement in WWI played a significant role in the lives and deaths of thousands of soldiers.