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.

James P. Delgado, President of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, is a marine archaeologist who has investigated shipwrecks around the world. With Clive Cussler, he hosted "The Sea Hunters," a National Geographic International TV series that played for five seasons to millions of viewers in 172 countries. Delgado is the author or editor of thirty books, including the international best-sellers Lost Warships: An Archaeological Tour of War at Sea and Across the Top of the World: The Quest for the Northwest Passage. When not travelling the world for INA in quest of lost ships, he lives on the Waterfront in Steveston, British Columbia - a village founded by Japanese fishermen.

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