We all remember the days sitting through history class learning about all the presidents in the short history of the United States. We learned all about each of these presidents and the things they did while in office. However, there’s a good chance you were not taught about the first and only Emperor of the United States. In 1859, Joshua Abraham Norton laid claim to the position of Emperor of the United States of America. Now before you assume this was just the meaningless musings of the town drunk, you should know that he was actually sort of recognized as Emperor. He had enacted a few laws adhered to by the public, the police saluted him on sight, and he had strong diplomatic relationships with government officials in more than one international province. This is the unbelievable tale of Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States.
What Makes An Emperor
Many of the emperors in history are born into a long lineage of leaders or are the children of soldiers who rise the ranks to become warlords. Emperor Norton is no such figure. He was the child of a relatively wealthy merchant just outside of London. Shortly after his birth Joshua Norton and his family moved to South Africa. After the death of his father, Norton inherited $40,000 (roughly $1.4 million today). At approximately 30 years old, Norton took his inheritance to San Francisco, becoming a commodities trader and real estate speculator.
Joshua Abraham Norton’s Early Career
Norton saw quick success in San Francisco, mainly from the commodities trade. Eventually, he turned his $40,000 inheritance into $250,000, equivalent to $8.7 million today. In addition, Joshua Norton was a significant success. He had built a strong network throughout the city, and many of the locals either knew him or knew of him.
How to Lose a Fortune in 24 Hours
At the peak of Norton’s success, the world was facing a global rice shortage. At the time, most of the world’s supply of rice came out of China. Due to a famine, the Chinese government elected to halt all food exports, including rice. Overnight the price of rice skyrocketed from about 4 cents per pound to nearly 40 cents per pound.
After being tipped off, the last shipment of rice from Peru was arriving in San Francisco; Norton purchased the entire ship, hoping to turn the 200,000-pound load of rice into a massive profit. Unfortunately for Joshua, the tip was wrong, and dozens of more Peruvian rice ships docked in San Francisco the next day. The surplus of rice caused the price to plummet to 3 cents per pound.
Furious about the losses incurred in his bad investment, Norton took the man who made the lousy tip to court. He spent the rest of his fortune in a legal battle that he would eventually lose as well.
I Declare Emperor-acy
Norton disappeared after his financial fall from grace. The citizens of San Francisco quickly forgot about him, and he faded into obscurity. That is until one fateful September day in 1859 when he walked into the office of the San Francisco Daily Bulletin and handed a letter to the editor. In the letter, Norton formally declared himself the Emperor of the United States. The editor published the statement in the evening paper.
The publishing of the statement from now Emperor Norton didn’t seem to take much effect, at least not at first. However, over time the locals began to love the new Emperor. He would spend his days walking the streets, engaging in public discourse, and enforcing his mandates. One such decree prohibited the shortening of San Francisco to Frisco. Oddly enough, the colloquial term Frisco short for San Francisco, fell out of vogue at about that time. So, even though he was a little much, San Franciscans grew to love Emperor Norton.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
The Rise of Emperor Norton
The police, however, took Emperor Norton’s reign to new heights. He was arrested on minor charges and was scheduled to stand trial. The local news outlets published the story, and an angry mob formed outside the courthouse demanding the release of Emperor Norton. The police chief bent to the crowd’s demands and went as far as to issue a public apology with a formal command for officers to salute the Emperor on sight.
The recognition from the chief of police catapulted Norton’s popularity to new heights. From that point forward, he ate and shopped for free at just about any local store, he often spoke to crowds of eager listeners, and his royal currency was accepted at most local establishments; yeah, he had his own currency. He even began diplomatic efforts with political leaders overseas. His relationship with Kamehameha of Hawaii was so strong that the Hawaiian monarch refused to speak to any leaders from the US other than the Emperor.
Conclusion
Emperor Norton put together a 21-year reign that everyone in San Francisco appreciated. When Norton died, his admirers pitched in to give him a proper royal burial. Reports indicate that over 10,000 people were in attendance, and his processional was over 2 miles long. The life of Emperor Norton is an eclectic story of a man who lost everything and then just claimed royalty. Oddly enough, it worked. Learn more about Norton’s reign, including his proclamation as the protector of Mexico, in this episode of Things I Learned Last Night.
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
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