Joshua Norton's parents are British Jews. They left England for South Africa for the first time in 1820 as part of the government's colonial plan. They were part of a group later called "1820 settlers". There is some controversy about Norton's birthday, but1865438+February 4th, 2008 is the best decision to celebrate his birthday based on ship records and San Francisco.
During the gold rush, Norton entered the real estate market in San Francisco on 1960, and by 1852, he was regarded as one of the rich and respected citizens of the city.
In response to the famine, China banned the export of rice to other countries. So Joshua Norton tried to monopolize the rice market. Shortly after he bought the whole batch of rice, several other ships from Peru arrived full of rice, and the price plummeted. After four years of litigation, until the California Supreme Court finally ruled that Norton lost the case. He filed for bankruptcy on 1858.
Emperor Norton's decrees on the dissolution of the US Congress, the country itself and the abolition of the two major political parties 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 the city in a blue uniform with gold epaulettes, which was given to him by an American officer stationed in the San Francisco fortress. 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 Bummer and Lazarus, two dogs who accompanied him to visit the city, have also become celebrities. 186 1 After France invaded Mexico in, Emperor Norton added "Protector of Mexico" to his title.
1867, a policeman arrested Joshua Norton and asked him to receive treatment for mental disorders. Local citizens and newspapers expressed great indignation at this. 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 opening ceremonies of plays and concerts. He issued his own currency to pay off his debts, and these banknotes were accepted as local currency in San Francisco. The photos of the emperor dressed as an emperor were sold to tourists, and the emperor Norton doll was made. On the contrary, he declared that using the word "San Francisco" to refer to the city was a felony and could be fined $25, thus expressing his love for the city.
Of course, Joshua Norton didn't give up any actual power to carry out these acts, so he didn't carry out them.
10 On August 8, Joshua Norton fell at the corner of California 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 car to take him to the city hospital. However, he died before the carriage arrived.
Norton's boarding house was searched after his death, which confirmed that he lived in poverty. When he fell down, he had about $5 on him and found a gold sovereignty worth about $2.5 in his room. His personal belongings include a walking stick, a hat and a letter to Queen Victoria of England.
The first funeral arrangement planned to bury Emperor Norton I in the coffin of the poor. However, the Pacific Club of the San Francisco Merchants Association chose to pay for a mahogany coffin suitable for a noble gentleman. 1880 65438+1October 10, as many as 30,000 of San Francisco's 230,000 residents attended the funeral procession. 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 city, and the inscription on the new tombstone read: "Norton I, American emperor and protector of Mexico."
Although many of Emperor Norton's declarations are considered absurd nonsense, his words 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, the cross-bay subway was completed, carrying the Bay Area MRT service connecting cities. It was opened by 1974. A continuous effort called "The Emperor's Bridge Movement" has been launched to put Joshua Norton's name on the Bay Bridge. The organization is also committed to studying and recording Norton's life to help preserve his memory.
Joshua Norton is immortal in a wide range of popular literature. Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn lived in San Francisco during the reign of Emperor Norton.
Robert louis stevenson's novel The Destroyer, published in 1892, plays Norton the Great. This book was co-written with Stevenson's stepson Lloyd Osborne. This is a story to solve the mystery of the sinking of Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean.
Selma Lagoff is the main inspiration behind the novel The Emperor of Portugal 19 14. It tells the story of a man who fell into a dream. His daughter became the queen of a fictional country. He is the emperor.
In recent years, the memory of Emperor Norton has kept alive in the whole popular culture. He has always been the subject of Henry Moriquand and John S. Bowman, as well as Jerome Rosen and James Chevelle. American composer Gino Robail also created an opera "I, 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 TV western "Rich Mine" tells most of the stories of Emperor Norton in 1966. The center of this episode is trying to send Joshua Norton to a mental hospital. Mark Twain testified on behalf of Norton. Death Valley Day and Broken Arrow also feature Emperor Norton.
Joshua Norton even appeared in video games. The game "Nervous Wanderer" is adapted from William Gibson's novels, including Norton the Great. The popular historical game Civilization VI listed Norton as an alternative leader of American civilization. The game King of Crusaders II includes Norton I, the former ruler of the California Empire.