The Man Who Declared Himself Emperor Of The United States

Norton was born in England, the son of John Norton and Sarah Norden. His family emigrated to South Africa in early 1820 as part of a government-sponsored group known as The 1820 Settlers.

In 1839, Norton started a business with his brother-in-law in Port Elizabeth, financed by his father. This venture ended after 18 months in bankruptcy. For a short time Norton worked as an auctioneer, before eventually working at his father’s firm in Cape Town.

Norton left Cape Town in late 1845 and arrived in Boston on March 12, 1846, aboard the Sunbeam. Drawn by the 1849 California Gold Rush, he reached San Francisco in late 1849.

Joshua Norton would become wealthy, amassing a significant fortune by 1852 through real estate and trading goods. Though he did not mine for gold, he made a fortune in real estate and trading goods, quickly capitalizing on the booming city market, as thousands of newcomers flooded into California.

Things would get worse in 1852, when Norton invested heavily in a quantity of Peruvian rice, on the theory that food shortages would send the price soaring and make him a fortune. Instead, an unexpected glut of rice crashed the market and the purchase produced no profit for him.

The sellers held Norton to the original contract, which threatened to cost him a fortune, and became a point of contention:: Norton attempted to back out, but the sellers refused. The California Supreme Court ruled against him in October 1854, forcing him to live with the consequences.

The ruling led to a courtordered foreclosure that stripped him of his remaining real estate holdings. Many clients refused to do business with him because of the controversy, so Norton found himself unable to recoup the losses, and in August of 1856, he declared bankruptcy.

After his financial ruin, Norton faded from public view, though he remained in San Francisco, where for years he lived quietly in a boarding house, doing odd jobs. By 1859, having given up on making his fortune as a businessman, he took on a new identity.

In July of 1859, Norton wrote a short manifesto addressed to the “Citizens of the Union,” which stated several problems with the nation as well as broad suggestions for solutions to these problems. He put an ad containing the statement in the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin.

That September, a few months after issuing his manifesto to the “Citizens of the Union,” Norton brought a letter to the offices of a local newspaper, the Bulletin, declaring himself “Norton I, Emperor of these United States.” The Bulletin printed the letter in the evening edition, kicking off Norton’s 20-year whimsical “reign.”

Norton was not recognized by the government; he had no military and no territory. His empire existed purely in his own imagination and in the willingness of San Franciscans to go along with the joke.

Instead of mocking or shunning Norton for his claim, many people embraced him. Newspapers happily published his public statements and stores were welcoming to him. Common folk treated Norton as a beloved local celebrity.

Norton dressed in a royal style, wearing a blue military-style uniform, covered in medals and other accessories. This was Norton’s signature when strolling around the streets of San Francisco; anyone could recognize him.

Newspaper readers, having no legal obligation to comply, enjoyed playing along with Norton’s humor and unconventional notions. During his “reign,” he released hundreds of proclamations, developing a small, devoted following that embraced his eccentric rule.

However, some of Norton’s notions were more serious. One such decree called for the abolishment of the United States Congress. In Norton’s eyes, Congress had failed its duty to the people. The decree was, of course, ignored by Washington, but it captured how little patience Norton had for a government he believed had failed its people.

Norton was known for his humor, and encouraged several out-of-the-way ideas for change. The most unusual may have been a proposal he pushed for repeatedly: a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland. Decades later, in 1936, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was completed.

Norton also had his own currency printed up, and signed by himself. Although this wasn’t legal tender, a few business owners were happy to accept it, and it was also widely collected as a souvenir.

In 1867, a police officer briefly arrested Norton and attempted to have him committed; however, the outrage of the public resulted in Norton’s release, with an apology from Police Chief Patrick Crowley, who ordered his officers to salute Norton in the street from then on. The entire incident only increased Norton’s fame.

Though famous, Norton lived in poverty. He collapsed on a San Francisco street on January 8, 1880, while on his way to a lecture, and died shortly after. Despite having no official post, a massive crowd gathered for his funeral.

Over the years, Emperor Norton became one of America’s most famous eccentrics, and his life and unusual “rule” were the basis for countless retellings, plays, and books.

This content was created with the help of AI.