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Joshua A. Norton (1819 - 1880) was a famous, impoverished, highly eccentric citizen of San Francisco, California in the mid-to-late 19th century. Among his many celebrated and curious activities, in 1859, he anointed himself "Emperor of the United States". Other notable actions include his dissolving the U.S. Congress, and his numerous, prophetic decrees that a bridge be built across San Francisco Bay. The King in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn may be modeled after him. |
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Joshua A. Norton (1819 - 1880) was a famous, impoverished and highly eccentric citizen of San Francisco, California in the mid-to-late 19th century. Among his many celebrated and curious activities, he most famously anointed himself as "Emperor of the United States" in 1859. Other notable activities include his dissolution of the United States Congress, and his numerous (and prophetic) decrees that a bridge be built across the San Francisco Bay. The King in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is reportedly modeled after him. |
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Norton was born in London, England on February 14, 1819. In 1820 Norton's parents emigrated to South Africa and apparently founded a successful business there. At 30, after receiving a gift of $40,000 from his father, Norton emigrated from South Africa to San Francisco in 1849. After some initial success in local real estate, he tried and failed to corner the rice market around 1855, and was left destitute. |
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Norton was born in London, England on February 14, 1819. However, in 1820 Norton's parents emigrated to South Africa and apparently established a successful business there. At the age of 30, after receiving a gift of $40,000 from his father, Norton emigrated from South Africa to San Francisco in 1849. After some impressive initial success in the local real estate market, he failed in an attempt to corner the rice market in the mid-1850s, and was rendered destitute. |
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Sadly, there are no known documents noting an eccentric personality or unusual behavior of Norton before the loss of his fortune. We can't know whether Norton had always been a pronounced eccentric, or if he became one as a result of his financial losses of the 1850s. At any rate, after his sudden loss of fortune, Norton became somewhat "odd", exhibiting the symptoms often called "delusions of grandeur". |
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Sadly there are no known documents noting an eccentric personality or unusual behaviour of Norton prior to the loss of his fortune, so it is not known whether his pronounced eccentricity was a permanent aspect of his psychology, or arose as a result of the stressful financial events of the 1850s. Nonetheless, after his sudden loss of financial stability, Norton became (in the absence of a proper diagnosis) somewhat "odd", exhibiting the symptoms often referred to as "delusions of grandeur". |
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Disgruntled with the inadequacies of the political structure and state and federal governments of the United States, Norton took matters into his own hands on September 17, 1859, when, in letters to the various newspapers of the area, he summarily proclaimed himself "Emperor of These United States". He would, on occasion, add "Protector of Mexico" to this title. Thus began his "unchallenged" 21 year reign over America. |
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Having become fully disgruntled with the inadequacies of the political structure and state and federal governments of the United States, Norton took matters into his own hands on September 17, 1859, when, in letters to the various newspapers of the area, he summarily proclaimed himself "Emperor of These United States". (He would, on occasion, add "Protector of Mexico" to this title). Thus commenced his "unchallenged" 21 year reign over America. |
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Like any emperor, Norton issued numerous decrees on matters of state. Now that a monarch had assumed power, there was no further need for a legislature. In October 1859, the Emperor isued a decree that formally dissolved the United States Congress. He also observed that "...fraud and corruption prevent a fair and proper expression of the public voice; that open violation of the laws are constantly occurring, caused by mobs, parties, factions and undue influence of political sects; that the citizen has not that protection of person and property which he is entitled". As a result, the Emperor ordered that "all interested parties" gather at Platt's Music Hall in San Francisco in February 1860 so as to "remedy the evil complained of." |
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As is the role of any emperor, Norton issued numerous decrees on matters of state. Obviously, now that a monarch had assumed power, there was no further need for a legislature, and in October 1859, the Emperor isued a decree that formally dissolved the United States Congress. He also observed that "...fraud and corruption prevent a fair and proper expression of the public voice; that open violation of the laws are constantly occurring, caused by mobs, parties, factions and undue influence of political sects; that the citizen has not that protection of person and property which he is entitled". As a result, the Emperor ordered that "all interested parties" gather at Platt's Music Hall in San Francisco in February 1860 so as to "remedy the evil complained of." |
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Emperor Norton I was much loved and revered by his subjects. Although penniless, he regularly frequented the finest restaurants in San Francisco, and the proprietors of these establishments took it upon themselves to add brass plaques in their entrances that declared "By Appointment to his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Norton I of the United States". This vanity appears to have been tolerated without complaint by the Emperor. By all accounts, such Imperial "seals of approval" were much prized and a substantial boost to trade for such businesses. No play or musical performance in San Francisco would dare to open without reserving balcony seats for the Emperor and his two mongrel dogs, Lazarus and Bummer. (As a sidenote, the tragic death of Lazarus, in an 1863 accident with a vehicle belonging to the Fire Department of San Francisco, led to a period of public mourning. In 1865, when Bummer pased away, Mark Twain was sufficiently moved to write an epitaph for the Imperial Canine, saying that he'd died "full of years, and honor, and disease, and fleas.") |
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Emperor Norton I was clearly much loved and revered by his subjects. Although penniless, he regularly frequented the finest restaurants in San Francisco, and the proprietors of these establishments took it upon themselves to add brass plaques in their entrances that declared "By Appointment to his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Norton I of the United States". This vanity appears to have been tolerated without complaint by the Emperor. By all accounts, such Imperial "seals of approval" were much prized and a substantial boost to trade for such businesses. No play or musical performance in San Francisco would dare to open without reserving balcony seats for the Emperor and his two mongrel dogs, Lazarus and Bummer. (As a sidenote, the tragic death of Lazarus, in an 1863 accident with a vehicle belonging to the Fire Department of San Francisco, led to a period of public mourning. In 1865, when Bummer pased away, Mark Twain was sufficiently moved to write an epitaph for the Imperial Canine, saying that he'd died "full of years, and honor, and disease, and fleas.") |
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A whimsical but oddly fitting footnote to the story of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Joshua Norton I: In 1999, it was reported (via a spiritual medium) that Emperor Norton had issued a new decree which (among other things) established that his Imperial Domain now extends to include the Usenet. |
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A somewhat whimsical, yet oddly appropriate, footnote to the story of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Joshua Norton I: In 1999, it was reported (via a spiritual medium) that Emperor Norton had issued a new decree which (among other things) established that his Imperial Domain now extends to include the Usenet. |
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