In 1890 the United States Congress conveyed a gold medal, the largest medal ever granted by Congress, to Joseph Francis, an eighty-nine year old hero. Through his work with lifeboats, Francis had saved hundreds of lives around the world.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Francis grew up hearing about the frequent shipwrecks in Boston Harbor and other seaports of the northeastern United States. With the increase in ship travel during the nineteenth century, the occurrence of shipwrecks had also multiplied. Francis observed that the most dangerous part of an ocean crossing was the reaching the dock because the ship's navigator had to negotiate an unfamiliar and often unmarked harbor. Tragically, during heavy weather, rescue vessels were as likely to fall victim to rocks and waves as the floundering ship. The heavy wood lifeboats in use at the time could easily capsize or be smashed against the shore.

Once Francis reached...