The Coronation of Emperor Norton
From The Daily Bleed:
1859 — US: Self-coronation of Emperor Norton I of America, in Frisco, California.
Joshua Norton, who lost his money in an attempt to corner the rice market, declares himself Norton I, Emperor of the United States & Protector of Mexico:
"At the peremptory request of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, & now for the past nine years & ten months of San Francisco, California, declare & proclaim myself Emperor of these U. S., & in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested do hereby order & direct the representatives of the different States of the Union to assemble in Musical Hall of this city, on the 1st day of February next, then & there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, & thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home & abroad, in our stability & integrity."
— Norton I, Emperor of the United States, September 17, 1859
Emperor Norton: Live like him.
(Via DumbMonkey. That does it, The Daily Bleed is becoming a daily read.)
=v= One of Emperor Norton's most memorable decrees was that a bridge be built from San Francisco to Oakland. It was built long after he died, pretty much in the location and manner that he'd specified. The good Emperor got around on a royal bicycle (provided by the city), and it is this fact that inspires me to continue to demand bike access to the bridge. I'm also lobbying to have the final project named the Emperor Norton Bikeway.
Posted by Jym on September 23 2002 17:43