How the Red Cross Began

Humanitarian relief, 19th-century style

The full extent of the Hurricane Katrina disaster is starting to become clear. It hasn't been a pretty picture, and people are asking hard questions about what might have been done differently by government and local citizens.

One thing is sure: private charities and relief workers are on the scene in force. The American Red Cross, one of the nation's largest private relief services, has mobilized its largest-ever response to a national disaster. As people open their wallets to support these volunteers, we're opening the books to look at the 19th-century Swiss humanitarian who helped start the Red Cross itself.