The Red Cross, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Origins of the Army Nurse Corps in the Spanish-American War

This article discusses the origins of the Army Nurse Corps in the Spanish-American War and the contributions of the Daughters of the American Revolution Hospital Corps. This organization was a vital proponent of employing contract nurses as medical auxiliaries, women whose service demonstrated both the capability of, and necessity for, female nurses in the military. The article also addresses the role of the American Red Cross in providing medical support, but concludes that tensions over control of transportation, supplies, and personnel drove the Army away from voluntary aid and toward creating a professional nurse corps within its Medical Department.