By the end of the Mexican War in the 1848, the United Stated had taken possession of California, whose coastline was virtually unknown and devoid of any aids to navigation. In fact, not a single lighthouse existed along the entire West Coast. With gold fever running high and wagontrains full of pioneers pushing west towards California,, the federal government tasked four small organizations to aid mariners and provide a federal law enforcement in the wild Southwest. In time, these four agencies would combine to form the modern day U.S. Coast Guard.
--This text refers to the
Kindle Edition
edition.
