Norton I, the first and only Emperor of the United States. AKA the most interesting person you have never heard of!!

Joshua Abraham Norton. Born 1818 - Died January 8th 1880

Norton arrived in San Francisco in 1849 from South America hoping to get rich and make a new life. He quickly catapulted to being one of the most wealthy and respected citizens in the San Francisco area. However, in December of 1852 China declared a ban on the export of rice due to famine within the country and the price of rice rose drastically in the United States. From 4 cents to 36 cents a pound. Seeing it as an opportunity he bought an entire shipment of rice for 12.5 cents per pound hoping to corner the market. Before his shipment arrived, several other came first causing the price of rice to plummet to 3 cents. From 1853 to 1857 he remained in litigation trying to void his purchase. Winning in the lower courts but losing in the California Supreme Court. By 1858 he filed for bankruptcy and was living in a working class boarding house.

In 1859, after becoming bankrupt and disgruntled with the legal system Norton took matters into his own hands distributing a letter to all the newspapers in the area declaring himself the Emperor of The United States

'At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last 9 years and 10 months past of S. F., Cal., declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these U. S.; and in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested, do hereby order and direct the representatives of the different States of the Union to assemble in Musical Hall, of this city, on the 1st day of Feb. next, then and there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, and thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home and abroad, in our stability and integrity.
— NORTON I, Emperor of the United States'

After which he went on to have a somewhat hilarious 21 year "reign" over America. He abolished congress. though they didn't acknowledge his abolishment. He eventually, begrudgingly allowed them to exist without his permission. He declared himself as also 'The Protector of Mexico'. He abolished the Democratic and Republican parties. He printed his own money that was accepted throughout San Francisco.

Some decrees he put forth proved to have tremendous foresight. He issued instructions to form a League of Nations and forbade conflict between religions or their sects. He Demanded a suspension bridge or tunnel be built between San Francisco and Oakland. In the exact spot the bridge sits today.

In 1867, a policeman named Armand Barbier arrested Norton to commit him to involuntary treatment for a mental disorder. The Emperor's arrest outraged the citizens and sparked scathing editorials in the newspapers. Police Chief Patrick Crowley ordered Norton released and issued a formal apology on behalf of the police force. Crowley wrote "that he had shed no blood; robbed no one; and despoiled no country; which is more than can be said of his fellows in that line." Norton magnanimously granted an Imperial Pardon to the errant policeman. All police officers of San Francisco thereafter saluted Norton as he passed in the street.

A lot of his later life was the subject of intense speculation. Rumours of him being the son of Napoleon III, or of him marrying Queen Victoria. In 1880 died, and had a funeral attended by an estimated 30,000 of the total population of San Francisco's 230,000 people.

I will end with a quote about Emperor Norton by Mark Twain who was personal friends with him and I will leave below a few links for more information on our only but unknown Emperor Norton I.
"It is human nature to yearn to be what we were never intended for. It is singular, but it is so. I wanted to be a pilot or a preacher, & I was about as well calculated for either as is poor Emperor Norton for Chief Justice of the United States." - Mark Twain

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html

http://www.history.com/news/the-strange-case-of-emperor-norton-i-of-the-united-states

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