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

James P. Delgado (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

This maritime history of the California Gold Rush narrows the focus to sea-faring gold seekers as they sailed to the state. From the establishment of early ports and the need for seafaring laws to the evolution of towns and regulatory agencies, this provides a different perspective on the Gold Rush's affect on maritime industry. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: University of South Carolina Press; New edition edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570031533
• ISBN-13: 978-1570031533
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,161,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars California Here I Come., April 19, 2006

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This review is from: To California by Sea: A Maritime History of the California Gold Rush (Paperback)

For most people the period in U.S. history between the Mexican and the Civil Wars is an uninteresting and lost part of history. I don?t remember anything being taught about this period in college except for John Brown and the abolitionists. Delgado?s superbly researched book brings to life for the reader the tremendous impact the California gold rush had on the development of the American maritime industry and how it rippled through the american economy. Thousands of our ancestors ventured into the unkown to seek their fortune and braved all sorts of physical and cultural challenges. What brings this period alive is the written accounts of those who went to California. Delgado seems to have read every one of these hundreds, if not thousands, of testimonies and adriotly incorporates them into the text of the book.