The fog locks the Golden Gate, and the clouds cover the mountains. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge spans the exit of San Francisco Bay and connects the north and south sides of the chasm. It is the symbol of San Francisco. Looking from afar, you will be amazed by its majesty; looking closely, you will find this passage:
His Majesty Emperor Joshua Abraham Norton promulgated the "decree" to build the bridge in 1869... Crossing the Golden Gate to Sausalito Ridge. Construction finally began 64 years later.
Emperor of America? As the cornerstone of the American political system, " separation of powers " is the pride and pride of Americans to a certain extent. It is difficult to imagine that the United States will have an "emperor" in the "separation of powers and checks and balances". Of course, there is no need to be stunned by this, because in addition to the "separation of powers", Americans also have a "humor." Perhaps it is this "humor" that made the legend of Norton I .
American Emperor-Norton I (modern role)
The birth of the American Emperor
Unlike today's American president who "must be a native-born American", the American Emperor-Norton I was born in England in 1818, and his real name was Joshua Norton. . Of course, the record of this date is not absolutely accurate, but is based on ship records and the city of San Francisco celebrating his birthday. Around 1820, Norton and his parents participated in the British government's colonial plan and moved to South Africa. In 1849, Norton came to his "place of throne" - San Francisco.
San Francisco in 1849 (the horizontal screen viewing effect is better)
At that time, a " gold rush" was setting off in the western United States, and hundreds of thousands of people poured into California with dreams. In addition to his dreams, Norton also had 40,000 US dollars in his arms. With this, he devoted himself to the real estate and import industries, and turned the money into a larger and more considerable wealth. By around 1852, Norton's Assets have accumulated to US$250,000 (equivalent to approximately US$8 million today). He attends various events, makes friends with people from all walks of life, and is a well-respected and successful businessman. But all prosperity is limited after all...
After the gold rush started, a large number of immigrants poured into "San Francisco", and the post office became the hub for them to communicate with their hometown.
"Post Office" - H.F. Cox (1850 )
In 1852 (the second year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty), the Qing government ordered a ban on grain exports due to famine (more than 60 states and counties in Shandong alone suffered from crop failure, and there were also famine records in Zhejiang and other places). San Francisco on the other side of the ocean was also affected by this. Due to the impact, the price of rice increased nine times to 36 cents/pound. During this period, Norton accidentally got an opportunity to buy rice at a price of 12.5 cents per pound. Norton saw the opportunity (of course it might be a trap) and bet all his wealth.
Joshua Norton (1851): At this time he was just a wealthy businessman
As the saying goes, there is great harm to the great benefits! If it goes as planned, Norton will indeed make a fortune and double his worth. But the next situation was not so optimistic. Within two weeks, as Peruvian rice continued to be imported into San Francisco, the price of rice fell all the way to 3 cents/pound. Norton was almost in despair in an instant. He had applied to the court to cancel the contract on the grounds that he had been "misled." However, the court ruled against Norton in May 1855; he filed for bankruptcy in August 1856, and he lived in a boarding house on Kearny Street until 1858, when he disappeared without a trace.
Kearny Street is the dividing line between San Francisco's Financial District and Chinatown, and the looming spire on the left side of the photo is the Transamerica Pyramid
Kearny Street
A year later, in September 1859 On the 17th, Norton reappeared in people's sight. No one knows what exactly he went through, but there is no doubt that he failed to make a comeback in business, and there seemed to be some "thinking" problems.His first astonishing act was to declare to the world through the San Francisco Bulletin:
By the request of the majority of the American people, I, Joshua Norton, formerly lived in Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope. , living in San Francisco for the last nine years and ten months, proclaimed and proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States! And by the authority thus vested in me, I order the representatives of the federal states to assemble in the concert hall of this city on February 1st. Afterwards, existing federal laws will be changed to improve the damage suffered by workers and help them regain confidence in survival. And let the stability and integrity of the United States be felt at home and abroad.
- Norton I (Emperor of the United States)
Portrait of the American Emperor
Although the United States does not need an emperor as a ruler, the word "emperor" is unfamiliar and novel to Americans, so the citizens of San Francisco happily accepted this Reality. On the day he ascended the throne, people bowed and knelt to him in the streets. From then on, Norton I began his unprecedented and insignificant "reign".
When France invaded Mexico in 1863, Norton I added "Protector of Mexico" to his title, but this "protection" only existed in spirit
Disobedience and foresight
With an emperor, there will be Imperial decree, of course, the imperial decree issued by Norton I was not binding. First of all, in the imperial edict, the meeting of representatives from various states was not implemented. After that, "resistance and disobedience" became the norm.
The imperial edict promulgated and ignored by the Emperor of the United States
●October 12, 1859: Announced the dissolution of Congress, and once again summoned members to meet at the San Francisco Music Hall
●December 2, 1859: Announced the revocation of Virginia Governor Henry Waits Position
● January 1860: Due to Congress's "resistance", General Winfield Scott was ordered to send troops to Capitol Hill
● July 16, 1860: Announcement of the dissolution of the United States of America
● April 1861 : The Civil War broke out, and Norton I summoned Presidents Lincoln and "President" Davis to resolve peacefully
● August 12, 1869: Due to political party disputes, the Democratic and Republican parties were announced to be disbanded and abolished
enemies on Capitol Hill, enemies of the Emperor of the United States.
is no exception. Although a series of "resistances" made it difficult for Norton I to complete the "great cause of unification", it did not affect his enthusiasm for governance. And from the perspective of future generations, Norton I did have a vision that transcended the times.
● He is a supervisor of all types of corruption and fraud (including governments, businesses and individuals)
● He criticizes unreasonable taxation and "protects" people's rights to fair taxation and basic services
● He advocates fair treatment and national unity Equality:
○ Advocate to give women the right to vote;
○ Allow African-American residents to take trams and enter schools;
○ Ask the court to allow Chinese Americans to testify in court. Declared that "the emperor's eyes will be on everyone who insults Chinese residents";
○ publicly stated that "any Indian spies and organizations that defraud Indians should be severely punished"
● He advocated "separation of church and state" and "religious equality" , demanding the abolition of laws that discriminated against Germans and Jews
When the "Anti-Chinese Riots" broke out in San Francisco, Norton I really single-handedly "entered" between the rioters and the persecuted Chinese. Kneel down and pray repeatedly: "We are all sons of God" until the mob disperses in shame. The "Emperor" has maintained stability by himself, which has to be said to be a miracle.
The one on the right side of the picture is the American Emperor Norton I. Note that he is followed by his most loyal subjects (two dogs) behind him, although some materials show that they are fabricated by later generations.
The bond between the emperor and San Francisco
The diligent Norton I " "Dedicated to his duty", he wears the blue navy marshal's dress and the beaver hat decorated with peacock feathers every day to patrol his territory - the streets of San Francisco, and from time to time fiddles with the scepter or umbrella in his hand to show that he is "American." Emperor's status. In short, he worked hard to govern, worked diligently and loved the people, supervised municipal construction, inspected police work, attended various celebrations, and issued various "orders."
The scepter and umbrella were the standard equipment of Norton I to demonstrate his "imperial power"
Despite his reputation, Norton I was still very poor. In order to pay for his own food, rent, and personal charitable donations, Norton I began to issue paper money, which he himself called "taxation." Fortunately, the citizens of San Francisco not only recognized this "tax" but also recognized the "emperor's privileges."
A 50-cent note issued by Norton I
In 1861, the San Francisco local directory listed him as "Emperor"; in the 1870 census, his occupation was also noted as Emperor; he could eat for free at San Francisco's best restaurants; theaters The best seat will be reserved for him; when the "Imperial Uniform" was worn out, the San Francisco city government funded a replacement for him; when bicycles became popular, the city government funded the purchase of an "Imperial Ride" for him; even if he was less than 5 The rent for the square meter palace was also paid for by the Freemasons.
The "Emperor's Cavalry" donated by the San Francisco city government
In a certain "rebellion" incident, the people of San Francisco also fully expressed their love for the emperor. In 1867, a policeman named Armand Barbier (although called a policeman, he was an auxiliary security officer and a security guard hired by neighbors and property owners) arrested Norton I and wanted to force him to Go to a mental hospital. As soon as the news came out, the media was in a frenzy and the people were angry. Everyone stepped forward to "protect Qin Wang." The chief of police personally came to "apologize", and Norton I also issued a "royal amnesty" in due course. A "coup" was put down, and since then the police in San Francisco have saluted Norton I when they saw him.
A cartoon depicts the new privileges obtained by Norton I after the "rebellion"
Emperor Norton's Bridge
Among the many decrees promulgated by Norton I, the most famous and far-reaching one is the construction of a bridge in San Francisco Bay. Bridge item. According to a "nameplate" on the Golden Gate Bridge, it was King Norton I who promulgated the "Bridge Building Ordinance" in 1869, requiring the construction of a bridge across the Golden Gate to connect San Francisco and Sausalito. Construction finally began 64 years later on what is now the San Francisco landmark we know today as the Golden Gate Bridge.
The "nameplate" of the Golden Gate Bridge: The above mainly introduces the brief introduction of the Golden Gate Bridge from proposal to construction to completion and opening to traffic
In addition, Norton I also proposed The longest bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area"San Francisco-Oakland The construction of Bay Bridge" and undersea tunnel . On December 28, 1871, the San Francisco Evening News published an article about the Central Pacific Railroad's idea: to build a bridge at the narrowest point in the southern part of San Francisco Bay to connect Newark and Ravenswood (East Palo). (Picture), and hopes that the people of San Francisco can contribute $3 million to complete the project. This project was at the location of today's "Don Barton Bridge". But Norton I had different ideas. He hoped to build a bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland through "Goat Island" (Yerba Buena Island), the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
On January 6, 1872, King Norton I "ordered" to prohibit the construction of a bridge through Ravenswood from taking effect, and instead required the construction of a bridge from San Francisco to Auckland via Goat Island.Three months later, on March 23, King Norton I again "ordered": to build a bay bridge through Goat Island without impairing ship navigation; to grant a franchise to the Central Pacific Railroad Company to lay rail tracks; an order from Washington All are invalid unless the emperor signs it first.
In the end, no matter which side's idea, it will finally be seen today.
On June 15, 1872, Norton I envisioned an undersea tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and asked the municipal governments of San Francisco and Oakland to allocate funds to determine whether the project could be completed. feasible. On September 21, Norton I issued another decree, requiring San Francisco and Oakland to allocate funds for investigation to determine which bridge or tunnel was more feasible, and "threatened" that if the emperor's decree was not taken seriously, he would send troops to disperse the parliaments of the two places. Finally, 64 years later, on November 12, 1936, the "San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge" was completed; on September 16, 1974, the undersea tunnel he envisioned was finally completed. But obviously the emperor couldn't see all this.
In order to commemorate Norton's "contribution", people specially made a "nameplate" and wrote:
Travelers, please stop and thank the Emperor of the United States and the protector of Mexico - Norton I (reigned 1859-1880). He had the foresight to envision and order the construction of a bridge across San Francisco Bay.
The end of an era
On January 8, 1880, Norton I went to the Academy of Natural Sciences in the rain to participate in the Hastings Society's monthly debate. As he climbed the final block to the southeast corner of California Street and Dupont (now Grant Avenue), the Emperor collapsed. At this time, he was only one street away from his destination.
The "fall" process of Norton I depicted in the cartoon
The next day, major newspapers in San Francisco published "obituaries" one after another. The emperor left no decent "legacy". In addition to the "emperor's dress", sword, scepter, umbrella, etc., he only had 5 or 6 US dollars and a small amount of other belongings. But his funeral was solemn and grand. The "Pacific Club", a member of the San Francisco Businessmen's Association, set up a fund and farewell ceremony for him. Tens of thousands of people came to pay their respects and pay their last respects to the "Emperor of America". Finally, the American Emperor, Norton I, was buried in the San Francisco Masonic Cemetery.
Note: The birth year on Norton I's tombstone is different from this article. This is mainly related to the research of different eras.
The influence of the "Emperor" has never dissipated. In 1980, on the 100th anniversary of Norton I's death, the San Francisco city government held a ceremony to commemorate this unique emperor in American history; in 2018, on the 200th anniversary of Norton's birth, people held a ceremony again.
"Norton I" - this name that combines poverty and dignity, humor and justice, must be a shining star in history.
Most of the material in this article is taken from the "Emperor's Bridge Movement", a non-profit organization that studies Norton I in the United States. I would like to express my gratitude to
