JOSHUA NORTON ,SEMI MENTAL DECLARED HIMSELF NORTON I OF UNITED STATES ON 1859 SEPTEMBER 17

     JOSHUA NORTON ,SEMI MENTAL

 DECLARED HIMSELF 

NORTON I OF UNITED STATES 

ON 1859 SEPTEMBER 17

Joshua Abraham Norton (c.1818[2] – January 8, 1880), known as Emperor Norton, was a citizen of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 proclaimed himself "Norton I, Emperor of the United States"[3] and subsequently "Protector of Mexico".[4]

Emperor Norton
Born	Joshua Abraham Norton c. 1818 Probably present-day London[1]
Died	January 8, 1880 (aged 61–62) San Francisco, California
Years active	1859–80
Known for	Proclaiming himself "Emperor of the United States"
Parent(s)	John Norton Sarah Norden

Born in England, Norton spent most of his early life in South Africa. After the death of his mother in 1846 and his father in 1848, he emigrated to San Francisco with an inheritance from his father's estate, arriving in November 1849 aboard the Hamburg ship Franzeska with $40,000 (inflation adjusted to $1.1 million in 2015 US dollars).[5] Norton initially made a living as a businessman, but he lost his fortune investing in Peruvian rice.[6]

After losing a lawsuit in which he tried to void his rice contract, Norton's public prominence faded. He reemerged in September 1859, laying claim to the position of Emperor of the United States


Declares himself emperor[edit]
Joshua Norton in full military regalia with his hand on the hilt of a ceremonial sword.
Norton in full regalia

By 1859, Norton had become completely disgruntled with what he considered the inadequacies of the legal and political structures of the United States. On September 17, 1859, he took matters into his own hands and distributed letters to the various newspapers in the city, proclaiming himself "Emperor of these 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.[17][25]

Norton's Imperial acts[edit]

An illustration by Edward Jump depicting the funeral of the stray dog Lazarus. At the head of the many people gathered is Norton, presiding over the funeral.
A fanciful depiction of Norton dressed as the Pope at the funeral of the itinerant dog Lazarus[33]

Norton spent his days inspecting San Francisco's streets in an elaborate blue uniform with gold-plated epaulettes, given to him by officers of the United States Army post at the Presidio of San Francisco. He also wore a beaver hat decorated with a peacock feather and a rosette.[34] He frequently enhanced this regal posture with a cane or umbrella. During his inspections, Norton would examine the condition of the sidewalks and cable cars, the state of repair of public property, and the appearance of police officers.[35] Norton would also frequently give lengthy philosophical expositions on a variety of topics to anyone within earshot.

NORTON MINTED $10 NOTE

During the 1860s and 1870s, there were occasional anti-Chinese demonstrations in the poorer districts of San Francisco. Riots, sometimes resulting in fatalities, took place. During one incident, Norton allegedly positioned himself between the rioters and their Chinese targets; with a bowed head, he started reciting the Lord's Prayer repeatedly until the rioters dispersed without incident.

DEATH

Some accounts say as many as 10,000 people lined the streets, and that the funeral cortège was two miles (3 km) long. San Francisco's total population at the time was 230,000.[43] Norton was buried in the Masonic Cemetery, at the expense of the City of San Francisco.[10]

In 1934, Emperor Norton's remains were transferred, as were all graves in the city, to a grave site of moderate splendor at Woodlawn Cemetery, in Colma. The grave is marked by a large stone inscribed "Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico".[44][45