In this post, Rear Adm. John Nadeau offers a few thoughts on The Congressional Act of 1871, which provided the nation with the basis of a functioning marine safety code. The Act of 1871 was an important change that combined all the practical features of previous legislation with a number of new requirements to form a coherent and unified body of law for the regulation of steamboats and to prevent marine casualties and loss of life.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 2/28/2019: A century and a half of marine safety and prevention – The Congressional Act of Feb. 28, 1871