All hail Norton I, Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico!
This year marks the 147th anniversary of the 1859 beginning of His Imperial Majesty's 21-year reign.
A visionary, Joshua Abraham Norton (1818-1880) called for the construction of a bridge that would span San Francisco Bay and demanded that the Democratic and Republican Parties -- not to mention the United States Congress -- be dissolved.
While some may have questioned the Emperor's sanity (he was arrested in 1867), San Francisco police officers always saluted him when they saw him on the street.
When Norton died in 1880, he was revealed to be virtually penniless, but local business leaders chipped in for a grand funeral that stretched for two miles and was attended by some 30,000 citizens. He lies buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma, just south of the City.
To those who doubt either Norton's fitness to rule or the divine
right of kings, please note that on the day after his burial there was a total eclipse
of the sun in San Francisco.
Suggested Sites...
- The Imperial Government of Emperor Norton I - separating fact from fiction in the reign of Emperor Norton.
- Emperor Norton's Archives - read the proclamations of His Imperial Majesty.
- Emperor Norton Bridge - dedicated to renaming the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in honor of Emperor Joshua Norton.
- Emperor Norton Trust - honoring the life and advancing the legacy of Emperor Norton.
- Norton I, Emperor of the United States - links to every aspect of the life and legacy of the Emperor.
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