17 Sep 1859: “Emperor” Joshua Norton

Your votes picked today’s entry: On this day in 1859, Joshua Norton declared himself “Emperor” of the United States.

Born in England in 1818, raised in South Africa, Norton moved to San Francisco in 1849. He made a fortune in the Gold Rush, but blew it on a speculative investment a few years later.

He was destitute when he made his decree. While many thought he’d gone insane, the support of others over the next 20 years built Norton into an institution in his own right. He issued ‘proclamations’ through newspapers, ranging from trifles to progressive ideas including women’s suffrage, a League of Nations, and the Bay Bridge.

After Norton was arrested in 1867 for “lunacy,” several newspapers came to his defense; the police chief apologized, and thereafter, police officers saluted the Emperor when he came by.

For more on Emperor Norton, visit The Emperor’s Bridge.

Note: originally I had Norton’s first name as “Joseph” in a few spots. My apologies for the error.

Image: undated, from the California Historical Society