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

In 1848, more than a thousand ships set sail for San Francisco, filled with eager fortune hunters. James P. Delgado provides a comprehensive examination of the Gold Rush from the perspective of the mariners to demonstrate that maritime activity is a pervasive thread in the event's history. Front Cover Front Flap Half Title Page William N. Still, Jr., Series Editor Full Title Page Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PROLOGUE Maritime Trade and California Prior to 1848 YERBA BUENA AMERICAN DESIRES FOR A PACIFIC PORT THE GOLD RUSH BEGINS Chapter One BY WAY OF CAPE HORN THE COMMON EXPERIENCE COOPERATIVE COMPANIES FITTING OUT THE SHIP DEPARTURE AND THE FIRST WEEK AT SEA FOOD ADJUSTING TO A STRANGE NEW WORLD GETTING READY FOR THE DIGGINGS CARGOES BY WAY OF CAPE HORN CLIPPERS TO CALIFORNIA Chapter Two VIA THE ISTHMUS THE ISTHMIAN CROSSING THE VOYAGE TO SAN FRANCISCO ISTHMIAN COMPETITION THE STEAMERS SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PANAMA ROUTE Chapter Three THE PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO, 1849-1851 MARINE INTELLIGENCE A BUSY WATERFRONT Table 1 1849 Arrivals Table 2 1850 Arrivals CREATING A WATERFRONT ESTABLISHING A MARITIME MERCANTILE COMMUNITY : THE SHIPPING AND COMMISSION MERCHANTS WATERFRONT SERVICES SAN FRANCISCO ELECTS A HARBORMASTER Chapter Four REGULATION AND INDUSTRIALIZATION COLLECTORS OF THE PORT THE REVENUE MARINE IN THE GOLD RUSH ILLUSTRATIONS THE NAVY IN THE GOLD RUSH Mare Island Navy Yard ESTABLISHING AIDS TO NAVIGATION MARITIME INDUSTRY BEGINS Chapter Five MARITIME DISASTER ON THE ARGONAUT MIND Conclusion AFTER THE GOLD RUSH REMEMBERING THE EVENT Appendix Resolution of Shipmasters and Owners Protesting Conditions at the Port of San Francisco, 1850 PREAMBLE NOTES PROLOGUE CHAPTER 1 . CHAPTER 2. CHAPTER 3 . CHAPTER 4. CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS BOOKS, SECONDARY SOURCES ARTICLES THESES AND DISSERTATIONS MANUSCRIPTS GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS NEWSPAPERS Index Back Flap Back Cover 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. In 1848, more than a thousand ships set sail for San Francisco, filled with eager fortune hunters. This book examines the Gold Rush from the perspective of those mariners