Emperor of the USA: Norton I
Well, the official history paints him as a coo-coo crazy guy, who was a citizen of San Francisco, California. He proclaimed himself "Norton I, Emperor of the United States" in 1859. He later assumed the secondary title of "Protector of Mexico".
Wikipedia continues with the following narrative:
- Norton was born in England but spent most of his early life in South Africa. He sailed west after the death of his mother in 1846 and his father in 1848, arriving in San Francisco possibly in November 1849.
- Norton initially made a living as a businessman, but he lost his fortune investing in Peruvian rice to sell in China due to a Chinese rice shortage. He bought rice at 12 cents per pound from Peruvian ships, but more Peruvian ships arrived in port which caused the price to drop sharply to 4 cents. He then lost a lawsuit in which he tried to void his rice contract, and his public prominence faded. He re-emerged in September 1859, laying claim to the position of Emperor of the United States.
- Though Norton received many favors from the city, merchants also capitalized on his notoriety by selling souvenirs bearing his name. “San Francisco lived off the Emperor Norton,” Norton’s biographer William Drury wrote, “not Norton off San Francisco.”
- Norton had no formal political power; nevertheless, he was treated deferentially in San Francisco, and currency issued in his name was honored in the establishments that he frequented. Some considered him insane or eccentric, but citizens of San Francisco celebrated his imperial presence and his proclamations, such as his order that the United States Congress be dissolved by force and his numerous decrees calling for the construction of a bridge and tunnel crossing San Francisco Bay to connect San Francisco with Oakland.
- On January 8, 1880, Norton collapsed at the corner of California and Dupont (now Grant) streets and died before he could be given medical treatment. Upwards of 10,000 people lined the streets of San Francisco to pay him homage at his funeral.
- ...one too many to be a joke, don't you think? That's 5 banknotes below. I'm wondering how many more could be out there.
But then we have a very old article like the one below. The guy sure does sound crazy. Or... is being presented as such.
Golden Gate Bridge?
The construction of the Golden Gate bridge did not start until 1933. Naturally, this 1939 memorial plaque had to be some good-natured fun. Right?
KD: Essentially, We are being told that this Emperor Norton the First was just a local clown adorned by everybody in the 19th century San Francisco.
- But... was he some eccentric dude, or was he a real Emperor being portrayed as a clown?
Info and Links:
- The Strange Story of Emperor Norton
- On the Trail of the Elusive "Frisco" Proclamation
- Norton's Photographs
- Norton I, Emperor of the United States
- Emperor's Bridge Compaign
- Emperor Norton's Banknotes
- Emperor Norton - Wikipedia
- The Imperial Government of Emperor Norton-1, in Faith and Honor on the Internet: Bank of Norton and His Money
Emperor of the USA: Aaron I
Instances like the one above sure do appear funny, up to the point where we have another Emperor of the United States. In history, Aaron Burr is known as an "Outlaw Emperor", as well as the third Vice President of the United States. The story is not without a conspiracy of its own. 
- According to some contemporaries, Burr had designs on founding a new western nation with himself as its emperor.
- FYI: Burr–Hamilton duel - Wikipedia
