Richard Henry Dana, Jr. (August 1, 1815 – January 6, 1882) was a Massachusetts lawyer and politician best known for his classic memoir Two Years Before the Mast. He was born n Cambridge into a prominent Brahmin family; his father was the noted poet and critic Richard Henry Dana, Sr. He attended a private school run by Ralph Waldo Emerson before entering Harvard. He left school in 1834 to sail to California, returning in 1836, whereupon he entered Harvard Law School and wrote his classic memoir, which was published in 1840. That same year he entered the bar and published The Seaman’s Friend, which became a standard reference on the rights and responsibilities of sailors. He went on to defend many sailors and became an ardent abolitionist, helping found the Free-Soil Party.  He was appointed a United States District Attorney for Massachusetts by President Lincoln during the Civil War. His arguments before the Supreme Court enhanced an already brilliant legal reputation. He later resigned over differences with President Johnson over Reconstruction and the punishment of Confederates. His positions favoring Afro American voting rights, education, and ownership of property and firearms were opposed by most in his class but were later embraced by President Garfield. The city and landmark Dana Point on the Pacific coast between San Diego and Los Angeles are named after him.