A Brief And Bloody History Of SF’s Barbary Coast

The story of the Barbary Coast, San Francisco’s first red-light district is a fascinating tale permeated by violence, exploitation, and anarchy that can be experienced firsthand by all, through a journey along The Barbary Coast Trail. The district was named for an expanse of North African coastline, from Morocco to modern-day Libya, that was home to dreaded pirates and slave traders who terrorized the coastal villages of Europe. Similar to its namesake, the Barbary Coast of San Francisco was defined by the lawlessness and danger always present within its boundaries. This is the intriguing history of the city by the bay’s first great den of inequity.
Encompassing parts of modern-day Chinatown, Jackson Square, and North Beach, the Barbary Coast was born amidst the chaos and excitement of the 1849 California Gold Rush, when tens of thousands of miners, entrepreneurs, and opportunists poured into the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to this influx of people, only a small population had called San Francisco home. By 1851, a population of about 200 had swelled to above 10,000, and the local authorities found themselves to be utterly incapable of governing the horde of newcomers. Without the presence of a strong government, various criminals thrived and transformed the Barbary Coast area into the epicenter of their illicit activities.