The First Emperor of The United States
Joshua Abraham Norton
Joshua Abraham Norton was born on February 4th, 1818 in London, England. Joshua’s father, John Norton, was a successful Jewish businessman and farmer. Due to overcrowding in Britain, the government encouraged British settlers to move to South Africa in an attempt to alleviate overcrowding in the British Isles. John and Sarah, John’s wife, immigrated to South Africa in may of 1820 when he was a child, and they eventually settled in Cape Town. These settlers developed a thriving agricultural community, which attributed to John’s successes.
Joshua on the other hand had bigger dreams, and in 1846 he immigrated to the United States and arrived in Boston. In 1849, Joshua moved to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush where he invested heavily in real estate, amassing a considerable fortune in a short period.
Unfortunately Joshua's luck took a turn for the worse in the early 1850s. China was undergoing a famine and Joshua was hoping to corner the rice market by purchasing $25,000 in rice from a shipment from Peru. (around a million dollars in today’s dollar) His hopes was to sell the rice, which was becoming an expensive commodity. However, this shipment was not the only shipment from Peru, and the price of rice plummeted. He lost his entire fortune and after many legal battles, he filed for bankruptcy by 1858.
He spent some time in a deep depression, some might say this is where his “madness” began to fester? He began to run for various political positions, including a tax collector in 1855, and even a U.S congressmen in 1858. These attempts were a failure.
Source: Wikipedia public domain
On July 5th, 1859 the first manifesto from Joshua emerged, stating:
MANIFESTO FROM JOSHUA NORTON
Citizens of the Union The Union is threatened with dissolution dissentions exist between the North and South measures affecting the general welfare cannot be got through Congress confidence ceases to exist with foreigners in the integrity and stability of the institutions of the country will you inaugurate a new state of things?
JOSHUA NORTON
However, his ads in the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin would not end there. His disillusioned take on justice, and on the state of the nation, further propelled him to come to the proper conclusion that perhaps what the United States is, and what it could be are two entirely separate things. The country was going to divide further, and a presidential election that was going to determine the fate of the country was being debated on this very moment. It is possible, he saw that the American people put to much trust in an election of someone who was, at least in theory, a common citizen with no nobility? Were these common citizens with no allegiances to noble families, really the most powerful people? Could a mere election drive an entire country to war? Was there a way to stop it? If one man can start a war, could one man prevent one?
It is unknown if Joshua had these thoughts, but what is known is that on September 17, 1859, the Daily Evening Bulletin published the Emperor’s first Imperial proclamation.
Source: emperornortontrust.org
This would be the first and later declarations from the first Emperor. The country would then be at war by 1861.
An Emperor’s Reign
On 1862, Emperor Napoleon the Third invaded Mexico. (another self proclaimed emperor) The French Emperor, sought to expand French influence in the Americas and reestablish monarchical values over the ever increasing liberal programs led by President Benito Juarez. On may 5, 1862 Mexican forces defeated a French coalition force at the Battle of Puebla. A day which is now celebrated in The United States as Cinco de Mayo. The United States backed the French forces who initially achieved significant victories, capturing other important cities and eventually installing Archduke Maximilian of Austria as Emperor of Mexico in 1864. This did not deter Joshua, now Emperor Norton from acting, and in 1863 he proclaimed himself the “Protector of Mexico”.
This of course had absolutely no effect on the outcome of the war, which did in-fact result in Mexican forces overthrowing the Emperor of Mexico, and executing him. This of course is a resounding victory for the Emperor of The United States.
Painting Battle of Puebla, public domain
This is of course, not the only accomplishment of Emperor Norton.
In 1872 the Emperor issued the a decree stating:
“WHEREAS, we issued our decree ordering the citizens of San Francisco and Oakland to appropriate funds for the survey of a suspension bridge from Oakland Point via Goat Island; also for a tunnel; and to ascertain which is the best project; and whereas the said citizens have hitherto neglected to notice our said decree; and whereas we are determined our authority shall be fully respected; now, therefore, we do hereby command the arrest by the army of both the Boards of City Fathers if they persist in neglecting our decrees. Given under our royal hand and seal at San Francisco, this 17th day of September, 1872.”
This decree sparked the imagination of the people and by 1936 the bridge, now known as “bay bridge”, was finally constructed.
Source: https://madison.com
Part of being a proper emperor is not only influencing public works projects, but also crafting culture and ideas. Emperor Norton was often making decrees that were considered (for the time) quite reformist and modern. This included publicly proclaiming ideas like; the women's right to vote, the desegregation of trains and schools, allowing the Chinese to testify in court, and spoke out about corruption and frauds of all sorts.
This had an unfortunate effect of landing him in jail. After making decrees such as dissolving the congress, and making it a crime to refer to San Fransicans as “friscos”. He was becoming quite popular on this thriving California coast. In January 1867, a special officer Armand Babier, arrested Emperor Norton for the unfounded crime of “Vagrancy”. The newspapers began to turn the incident into a scandal, and wrote to demand his release:
“In what can only be described as the most dastardly of errors, Joshua A. Norton was arrested today. He is being held on the ludicrous charge of “Lunacy.” Known and loved by all true San Franciscan’s as Emperor Norton, this kindly Monarch of Montgomery Street is less a lunatic than those who have engineered these trumped up charges. As they will learn, His Majesty’s loyal subjects are fully apprised of this outrage.”
-The Bulletin
Patrick Crowley, the police chief, released Emperor Norton and apologized. From that moment on, after a full pardon by the Emperor, San Francisco police would often salute Emperor Norton on the street.
Public admiration made Emperor Norton into a cultural icon, beloved by local residents for his kindness. It was said by Timothy Levitch, a documentarian, that “Some say he’d gone mad; others say he’d gone wise.” Most of his clothing was donated military uniforms, and he lived a very meager living. It is important to note, that in all respects, he is the statesman that does not appear in elected government. He was truly a local celebrity that went beyond mere “official leadership”. On opening nights, many theaters would reserve a seat for the Emperor to attend. A Mayor, or Governor, could always schedule an appearance where arrangements would have been made, but the city did it without reservation. In short, the city encouraged him.
Last days of the Emperor
Source:Wikipedia public Domain
“His funeral took place yesterday afternoon from the undertaking establishment at No. 16 O’Farrell Street. All the afternoon the remains lay in state in the rear room of the Morgue. Thousands flocked thither for a last look at the man whose peculiarities of mind, garb and person had rendered him familiar to all.
The man of imaginary majesty…narrowly escaped burial in a plain redwood box. Some people…have unkindly surmised that his hallucination was simulated, and that he had adopted his strange life as a cover of a miserly hoard of unaccountably-acquired wealth. When his effects were searched it was found, as his best friends knew, that he had no means.
On his person was found five or six dollars in small change, which was all his store. He has no personal effects of any value, and but for the kindly remembrance of people of means who knew Norton and had business relations with him many years ago when he was a citizen of substance and standing, he would have had a pauper’s funeral at the city’s expense. A subscription paper to procure a funeral fund was drawn up and taken to the Pacific Club where the sponsors soon had all the money they deemed necessary….
After the autopsy Friday the body was prepared for burial. It was clothed in black robe with a white shirt and black tie, and placed in a neat rosewood casket, trimmed handsomely but without elaboration. The general interest felt in the deceased was soon manifest. Early in the afternoon of Friday people who remembered the singular old man kindly, many of them gratefully and affectionately, began to call and ask to be allowed a last glance at the familiar face….
Early yesterday morning the stream of visitors to the bier began. By 7 o'clock quite a number had dropped in, some of them laborers who had got off the car on their way to the shops, to take a last look at the remains of one whom none remembered save with kindly feelings; others were business men who stopped on their way downtown for a similar purpose. Soon the number began to increase and there was a steady stream of people pressing through the office to the little back room where the remains lay in state taking a last glance at the features and filing out at the side exit to make room for the constantly-increasing throng of visitors. By noon there were hundreds of people gathered on the sidewalk waiting their turn. Policemen were called in to regulate the entrance.
The visitors included all classes from capitalists to the pauper, the clergyman to the pickpocket, well-dressed ladies and those whose garb and bearing hinted of the social outcast, however, the garb of the laboring man predominated.”
His reign would come to an abrupt end on January 8th 1880. While on his way to attend a regular debate of the Hastings Society, at the Academy of Natural Sciences, he collapsed and died in the rain.
The newspapers wrote kindly obituaries to notify the people of their loss. An old observer of Emperor Norton, Samuel Clemmens, (better known as Mark Twain) covered his legacy by writing:
“On the reeking pavement, in the darkness of a moonless night under the dripping rain, and surrounded by a hastily gathered crowd of wondering strangers, Norton I, by the grace of God, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, departed this life. Other sovereigns have died with no more of kindly care — other sovereigns have died as they have lived with all the pomp of earthly majesty, but death having touched them, Norton I rises up the exact peer of the haughtiest King or Kaiser that ever wore a crown. Perhaps he will rise more than the peer of most of them. He had a better claim to kindly consideration than that his lot “forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne and shut the gates of mercy on mankind.” Through his harmless proclamations can always be traced an innate gentleness of heart, a desire to effect uses and a courtesy, the possession of which would materially improve the bitterful living princes whose names will naturally suggest themselves.”
The San Francisco Chronicle concluded his reign with an 8 page article about the funeral on Sunday the 11th with the headline “Le Roi Est Mort” (The King is Dead). The profound conclusion to the Emperor would be felt for decades to follow, inspiring Mark Twain to include him in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as “The King”. He was buried in the Masonic Cemetery, prior to his grave being moved in 1934 to Woodlaw Cemetery with full military honors. The Chronicle writes:
Sourced from: kqed.org/news (Original California State Library)
For more information regarding Emperor Norton, including information here can be found at