The Imperial Proclamation

In 1859, a failed businessman named Joshua Norton walked into the offices of a San Francisco newspaper and handed them a proclamation declaring himself the Emperor of the United States. While most cities might have institutionalized him, the people of San Francisco decided to play along. For the next 21 years, he reigned as a beloved eccentric.

Life as an Emperor

Norton I was a fixture of the city, wearing an elaborate blue military uniform with gold-plated epaulets and carrying a wooden cane. He issued numerous Imperial Decrees, including orders to abolish Congress and the mandate to build a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland—a project that would actually be realized decades later. Local restaurants honored the 'imperial' currency he printed, and the city directory even listed his occupation as 'Emperor.'

A Royal Funeral

When he collapsed and died in 1880, nearly 30,000 people—roughly 10% of the city's population—attended his funeral procession. The San Francisco Chronicle published his obituary under the headline 'Le Roi est Mort' (The King is Dead). He remains a symbol of the city's history of tolerance and celebration of the strange.