On the morning of September 17, 1859, a man described as “well-dressed and serious-looking” entered The San Francisco Evening Bulletin offices and handed over a document without explanation, requesting its publication. Intrigued, the editors of the paper published a proclamation in that evening’s edition on page 3:
The document declared Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and residing in San Francisco for almost 10 years, as the Emperor of the United States. It called for representatives from across the country to gather in San Francisco’s Musical Hall to amend existing laws in order to address the country’s issues. The proclamation was signed by “NORTON I, Emperor of the United States.”
Norton’s declaration was made in response to the escalating political tensions over slavery, which eventually led to the Civil War. Despite rescheduling the meeting at a different venue after the Musical Hall burned down, no one attended.
In contrast to the current influence of South African-born Elon Musk on US policies, Norton, who also hailed from South Africa, attempted to shape public discourse but did not face the same backlash. Although Norton did not have access to power, he was a revered figure ahead of his time on human rights issues.
Emperor Norton, who also referred to himself as the “Protector of Mexico,” reigned for over 20 years, walking the streets of San Francisco in a blue uniform, collecting “taxes,” and issuing imperial proclamations on various subjects. Despite his eccentricities, Norton was remembered in various forms of media and social clubs.
Norton’s popularity endured until his death in 1880 at the age of 61, after which it was revealed that he was essentially impoverished. The Pacific Club, a businessmen’s association, organized a grand funeral for him, drawing around 10,000 people from diverse backgrounds to pay their respects. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, his body was displayed in a beautiful rosewood casket as people from all walks of life, including capitalists, paupers, clergy members, pickpockets, well-dressed ladies, and social outcasts, watched on as it was paraded through the streets.
Emperor Norton’s exact birth date is unknown, but records suggest he was born in Deptford, southeast London, in February 1818. His parents emigrated to South Africa when he was just two years old, where he grew up with the privileges of white South Africans under British rule. After trying various business ventures in South Africa and traveling to different cities, Norton arrived in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush in 1849.
Despite initially finding success in commodities trading and real estate, Norton’s fortunes took a turn for the worse in 1852 when a business deal involving Peruvian rice led to financial ruin. His insistence on justice and refusal to pay for inferior rice ultimately led to bankruptcy in 1856.
After experiencing a period of depression, Norton began involving himself in political issues, advocating for an absolute monarchy as a solution to the country’s problems. He even declared himself emperor and ran for Congress, although his proclamations were not taken seriously.
Norton’s proclamations ranged from frivolous issues, such as disputes with skating rink superintendents, to more serious matters like advocating for the rights of African Americans, Indigenous Americans, and Chinese immigrants. He fought for equality and human rights, even in the face of public backlash against Chinese workers during that time. The law was further enforced in the subsequent decades, with the ban only being lifted in 1943. Emperor Norton’s proclamation in support of Chinese rights was published in The San Francisco Daily Examiner on February 24, 1868. In October 1871, he condemned a race riot in Los Angeles where 15 Chinese men were lynched and called for the arrest of those involved, though he had no actual authority over law enforcement. Expressing dissatisfaction with the city’s response, he held the authorities of Los Angeles responsible for the mistreatment of Chinese individuals.
Emperor Norton, like Elon Musk, had a talent for envisioning a different world. While Musk dreams of colonizing Mars, Norton famously called for the construction of a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland in 1872. Although the Central Pacific Railroad Company initially proposed a different location for the bridge, Norton insisted it should be built as he envisioned. Despite not living to see his dream realized, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened in 1936 exactly as he had proposed.
Norton’s presence in San Francisco was widely accepted, with Freemasons covering his rent and shopkeepers honoring his bank notes. He was a familiar figure at political events and lectures, and his charisma and response to adversity were admired by many, including Methodist minister Oscar Penn Fitzgerald. While there may be some myths surrounding Norton, his gentle and magnanimous nature left a lasting impression on those who knew him. Mark Twain, yang juga tinggal di San Francisco selama masa pemerintahan kaisar, menciptakan karakter Raja dalam Petualangan Huckleberry Finn berdasarkan padanya, dan Robert Louis Stevenson juga menyebutkan Norton dalam novelnya, The Wrecker.
Selama bertahun-tahun telah ada beberapa adaptasi TV tentang kehidupannya, beberapa biografi tertulis oleh Allen Stanley Lane dan William Drury, dan setidaknya tiga organisasi – Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (klub minum sejarah), Imperial Council of San Francisco (yang memilih seorang kaisar dan permaisuri setiap tahun) dan agama satir Discordianism – telah mengadopsi Kaisar sebagai santo pelindung mereka.
Sebagaimana yang ditulis oleh Joel Gazis-Sax dalam esainya tahun 1997, The Madness of Joshua Norton: “Kebanyakan yang mengingat dan mencintai Kaisar setelah kematiannya, mencintai sebuah mitos.”
Untuk tujuan ini, Lumea telah menghabiskan 12 tahun terakhir mencoba memisahkan antara manusia dari mitos, dan digitalisasi banyak surat kabar sejarah telah membantu secara signifikan dalam hal ini.
Masih dirayakan hingga hari ini: ‘Kaisar Norton’ tampil dalam parade di San Francisco pada 24 Juni 2018 [Shutterstock]
Beberapa “deklarasi” paling terkenal Norton – seperti yang melarang orang dari menyebut rumah angkatnya sebagai “Frisco” (sebuah panggilan untuk kota yang mungkin merupakan permainan kata “frisk” sebagai kata untuk “tarian” dan yang terlihat di cetak dari 1950) misalnya – kemungkinan besar palsu. Beberapa mungkin telah diciptakan oleh pemilik surat kabar yang mencari pembaca atau mendorong agenda politik mereka.
Pada tahun 1869, The Oakland Daily News, misalnya, mencemooh San Francisco dengan mempublikasikan sebuah deklarasi yang jelas palsu di mana Kaisar meminta jembatan yang tidak mungkin. Kaisar seringkali mengeluarkan deklarasi melawan deklarasi palsu semacam itu – dan dia mengambil langkah-langkah untuk melawan informasi yang keliru, seperti ketika dia menunjuk surat kabar The Pacific Appeal, yang didirikan oleh aktivis hak sipil dan anti-perbudakan Afrika Amerika Philip Alexander Bell, sebagai “organ kekaisaran” barunya, menulis pada Desember 1870 bahwa “kami… dengan ini menunjuk Pacific Appeal kami sebagai organ tersebut, dengan syarat, bahwa mereka bukan pengkhianat, dan tetap setia pada warna kami”.
Joseph Amster, tengah, berpakaian sebagai Kaisar Norton, menyanyikan lagu ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ di akhir parade untuk mengenang gempa bumi dan kebakaran hebat San Francisco 1906 yang ke-110 pada Jumat, 15 April 2016, di San Francisco [Eric Risberg/AP]
Kaisar Norton adalah seorang pemimpi, kata Ganahl. Dia juga salah satu selebriti yang pertama kali dibuat oleh media. “Seabad setengah sebelum kita pernah mendengar nama Kardashian, aksi Emp membuat berita yang sangat baik, dan dia dikejar oleh puluhan surat kabar yang berada di San Francisco setelah demam emas. Apa yang tidak mereka amati langsung, mereka ciptakan dalam fase pertama berita palsu yang sangat nyata.
“Pada saat dia meninggal di puncak ‘kekuasaannya’, dia membuat San Francisco dikenal sebagai tempat yang menyambut orang-orang aneh dan pemimpi, siapapun yang melampaui batas. Dan begitu juga sampai sekarang.”
Kaisar Norton hanya pernah menjadi pahlawan lokal, tetapi 150 tahun setelah kematiannya, dia tetap dikenal dan dicintai di seluruh Bay Area, kata Lumea. “Dia dilihat sebagai pembawa nilai-nilai San Francisco, mengidentifikasi diri dengan mereka yang terpinggirkan, dan berjuang untuk orang kecil. Fakta bahwa dia melakukan hal itu dari luar kekuasaan membuat semuanya semakin menyentuh.”