In October 1859, a special "edict" was published in the San Francisco Express. A man named Joshua Norton declared himself emperor of the United States and Mexico. He said in his edict: "I, Joshua Norton, proclaimed emperor of the United States and Mexico." The edict was signed "Emperor Norton I of the United States". Surprisingly, the next day, the absurd edict was published on the front page of the San Francisco Express by humorous Americans. Norton began his 21-year "reign" over the United States.
Norton I, whose original name was Joshua Abraham Norton, was born in England. Originally a descendant of wealthy merchants, he was adventurous by nature, and after the failure of the speculative business, he became the only emperor in American history in this humorous way.
"Norton I"
"Norton I" cared about the people's livelihood during his "reign" and often attacked the shortcomings of the times through speeches, but he was an emperor without real power. But as emperor, Norton I also enjoyed some privileges: the theater in San Francisco reserved 3 seats for him in the front row, and the rent for the apartment room he lived in was also covered by The Masonics. When he needs to pay, he can also issue "royal" banknotes in denominations of 50 cents, $5 and $10. These banknotes were widely accepted by shops and banks in San Francisco and were said to have a better reputation than the dollar. In the records of the 1870 National Census, Norton's occupation was "emperor."
In 1880, "Norton I" died of a stroke. The next day, some of the larger San Francisco newspapers issued obituary about "Norton I" in a sad tone. At the time of his death, his entire fortune was a few dollars. However, his funeral was solemn and solemn. 30,000 people spontaneously lined up on both sides of the street to see him off, and the line was 2 miles long. History remembers the name "Norton I", a combination of poverty and dignity. The birth of this emperor is a miracle, and it is the unique American culture that has bred this "emperor" legend.