To California by Sea: A Maritime History of the California Gold Rush

by James P. Delgado

Overview

The adventures and hardships of seafaring gold seekers

In December 1848, spurred by President James K. Polk's confirmation that fabulous riches had indeed been discovered in far-off California, more than a thousand ships set sail for San Francisco. These ships, filled with eager fortune hunters, launched the maritime arm of America's largest gold rush. In To California by Sea, James P. Delgado provides a comprehensive examination of the Gold Rush from the perspective of the mariners and demonstrates that maritime activity is a pervasive thread in the event's history.

Delgado vividly details the adventures and hardships of sea-going gold seekers as they sailed to California by way of Cape Horn or the waterways of Panama. He chronicles the establishment of the port of San Francisco, the rise of rough-and-ready seafaring law on the bay, and the role of the U.S. Revenue Marine (the present-day Coast Guard) in regulating the port. He also explores the powerful impact of the Gold Rush on maritime trade along the Pacific coast and throughout the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570031533
Publisher:	University of South Carolina Press
Publication date:	10/01/1996
Edition description:	Revised ed.
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,028,325
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.61(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James P. Delgado is maritime historian of the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. Author of fifteen books and more than thirty articles on California maritime history and archaeology, he is a native of San Francisco.

What People are Saying About This

Journal of Historical Geography

[Delgado] catches the enthusiasm of those going off to sea for the first time and their naive views of what they expected to find in California.

Editorial Reviews

A popular concept of the gold rush portrays the overland migration, yet according to the evidence, more people journeyed by sea. The significant factor in this maritime traffic was cargo--supplies for miners and an expanding population. Delgado, maritime historian of the National Park Service, here presents a comprehensive account of shipping during the gold rush era. He reviews briefly maritime trade prior to 1848--furs, hides, whaling--and the settling of San Francisco. He follows shipping around the Horn, steamship service on the Panama and Nicaragua routes and California traffic. Panama steamers carried homebound argonauts and mail until that service was taken over by the U.S. Navy in 1850. Delgado explores the development of the San Francisco waterfront and maritime industries along the coast; he describes shipwrecks and efforts to salvage cargo. This colorful history is a notable addition to the literature of the gold rush. Illustrated. (May)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

On the importance of ships and shipping in the Gold Rush. Delgado (historian, National Park Service) explores the impact of the event on national and world maritime trade and the maritime fortunes of the California Gold Rush. Voyages around Cape Horn, through Panama, the rise of the port of San Francisco, rough and ready seafaring law and order on San Francisco Bay, and the role of the Navy and the US Revenue Marine are explored along with the development of maritime industry on the Pacific Coast. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews