Biography of Emperor Joshua Norton

1859, Joshua Abraham Norton (1865438+February 4, 2008-1880 65438+20081October 8) proclaimed himself "Emperor Norton I of the United States". He later added the title of "Protector of Mexico". He was not persecuted for his bold ideas. The citizens of his hometown, San Francisco, California, praised him and remembered him in the literary works of famous writers.

Early life

Joshua Norton's parents are British Jews. 1820, they left England for South Africa for the first time as part of the government's colonial plan. They belong to a group later known as "1820 settlers". There is still controversy about Norton's birthday, but according to ship records and San Francisco,1865438+February 4th, 2008 is the best date to celebrate his birthday.

Norton immigrated to the United States in 1849 during the California gold rush. He entered the real estate market in San Francisco and arrived at 1852. He is considered as one of the rich and respected citizens of this city.

business failure

In response to the famine, China banned the export of rice to other countries. This caused the rice price in San Francisco to soar. I heard that a ship returned to California from Peru, carrying 200,000 pounds of goods. Regarding rice, Joshua Norton tried to monopolize the rice market. Shortly after he bought the whole batch of rice, several Peruvian ships loaded with rice arrived and the price of rice plummeted. After four years of litigation, the California Supreme Court finally ruled that Norton lost the case. He filed for bankruptcy on 1858.

The emperor of the United States

Joshua Norton disappeared for about a year after declaring bankruptcy. When he returned to public view, many people thought that he not only lost his wealth, but also lost his spirit. On September 1859 and 17, he distributed letters to newspapers all over San Francisco, claiming that he was the American emperor Norton I. The San Francisco Gazette indulged his statement and published a statement:

"Compulsory demands and wishes of the vast majority of American citizens, I, Joshua Norton, formerly, the Cape of Good Hope in Argo Bay, now the past nine years and the past 10 months of American F ... Carl. These Americans declared their own emperor; So I gave the power to convene representative unions directly in different states of the concert hall in this order. On the first day of February in this city, at the scene, trade unions that change existing laws may improve the labor of evil countries, thus leading to the existence of confidence in our stability and integrity at home and abroad. "

Emperor Norton repeatedly ordered the dissolution of the US Congress, the state and the abolition of the two major political parties, but they were ignored by the federal government and the generals who led the US military. However, he was welcomed by the citizens of San Francisco. He spent most of his time walking in the streets of San Francisco in a blue uniform, which was given to him by an American officer at plessy Dior in San Francisco. He also wears a hat decorated with peacock feathers. He inspected the condition of roads, sidewalks and other public property. On many occasions, he gave speeches on a wide range of philosophical topics. It is reported that two dogs named Bummer and Lazarus accompanied him on tour in this city, and they also became celebrities. 186 1 After France invaded Mexico in, Emperor Norton added the word "Protector of Mexico" to his title.

1867, a policeman arrested Joshua Norton and asked him to receive treatment for mental disorders. Local residents and newspapers expressed extreme indignation. San Francisco police chief Patrick Crowley ordered Norton's release and made a formal apology to the police. The emperor pardoned the policeman who arrested him.

Although he is still poor, Norton often eats for free in the best restaurant in the city. Seats were reserved for him at the beginning of the play and concert. He issued his own currency to pay off his debts, and these banknotes were accepted as local currency in San Francisco. Photos of the emperor wearing royal clothes were sold to tourists, and the emperor Norton doll was also made. In turn, he expressed his love for the city and announced that using the word "San Francisco" to refer to the city was a serious misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $25.

The official played the role of emperor.

1859 65438+1October 12: The United States Congress formally abolished it.

1859 65438+February 2: It was announced that the governor of Virginia, Henry Wise, should resign because the abolitionist john brown and John C. Blacking Ritchie of Kentucky succeeded him.

The United States disintegrated.

August 1869, 12, democratic parties and * * * and the party were dissolved and abolished due to party contradictions.

1March 23, 872: It was ordered to build a suspension bridge from Oakland to Goat Island and then to San Francisco as soon as possible.

1872 September 2 1 day: A survey was ordered to decide whether the best way to connect Auckland and San Francisco is a bridge or a tunnel.

Of course, Joshua Norton did not hand over any actual power to enforce these laws, so no laws were enforced.

Death and funeral

1880 65438+1On October 8th, Joshua Norton fainted at the corner of California Street and Dupont Street. The latter is now named Grant Avenue. He is on his way to attend a lecture at the California Academy of Sciences. The police immediately sent a carriage to take him to the city hospital. However, he died before the carriage arrived.

A search of Norton's apartment after his death confirmed that he lived in poverty. He had about $5 on him when he fell, and found gold coins worth about $2.5 in his room. Among his personal belongings, there are a bunch of crutches, many hats and hats, and a letter to Queen Victoria of England.

The arrangement of the first funeral was to bury the emperor Norton I in a poor man's coffin. However, the Pacific Club, a merchant association in San Francisco, decided to buy a mahogany coffin suitable for noble gentlemen. 1880 65438+1October 10, more than 30,000 residents in San Francisco attended the funeral. The parade itself is two miles long. Norton was buried in the Masonic Cemetery. 1934, his coffin was transferred to Woodlawn Cemetery in Colmar, California, along with all other graves in the city. About 60,000 people attended the new detention center. Flags were flown at half-mast in the whole city, and the new tombstone was engraved with "Norton I, American emperor and protector of Mexico".

heritage

Although many of Emperor Norton's declarations are considered meaningless nonsense, his remarks about building a bridge and subway connecting Auckland and San Francisco now seem prescient. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was completed on1936165438+10/2. 1969 build the Transbay subway to carry the subway service with rapid traffic in the Bay Area and connect the city. It was opened by 1974. An activity called "The Emperor's Bridge Movement" is going on, and Joshua Norton's name is posted on the Bay Bridge. The organization is also committed to studying and recording Norton's life to help preserve his memory.

Emperor Norton in literature

Joshua Norton is immortal in a wide range of popular literature. He inspired the role of "King" in Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. During the reign of Emperor Norton, Mark Twain lived in San Francisco.

1892 published robert louis stevenson's novel The Destroyer, with the role of Emperor Norton. This book was written in collaboration with Stevenson's stepson Lloyd Osborne. This is a story to solve the mystery of the shipwreck on Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Norton was regarded as the main source of inspiration for the novel The Portuguese Emperor by selma lagerlf, the winner of Nobel Prize in Literature in Sweden 19 14. It tells the story of a man who falls into a dream world, his daughter becomes the queen of a fictional country, and he is the emperor.

Contemporary cognition

In recent years, the memory of Emperor Norton has been circulating in popular culture. He is the theme of the operas of Henry Moriquand and John S. Bowman, as well as Jerome Rosen and James Chevelle. American composer Gino royle also composed the opera Norton, which has been performed in North America and Europe since 2003. Kim O 'Hansen and Marty axelrod created Emperor Norton: A New Musical, which was staged in San Francisco for three months in 2005.

An episode of the classic western rich mines tells most of the stories of Emperor Norton in 1966. This episode mainly tells the story of trying to send Joshua Norton to a mental hospital. Mark Twain testified for Norton in court. Emperor Norton also appeared in Death Valley Day and Broken Arrow.

Joshua Norton even appeared in video games. One of the characters in the "Neuroromantic" game based on William Gibson's novel is Emperor Norton. In the popular historical game Civilization VI, Norton played the elected leader of American civilization.