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Emperor Norton, the bankrupt who declared himself Emperor of the United States
Hard to believe12 min

Emperor Norton, the bankrupt who declared himself Emperor of the United States

In 1859 a ruined San Francisco businessman proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States, issued his own currency, and for two decades the city humored him — honoring his money and mourning him by the thousands when he died.

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Show notes

Joshua Norton lost his entire fortune attempting to corner the rice market during a nineteenth century famine.

The San Francisco Evening Bulletin published Norton's eighteen fifty-nine proclamation declaring himself Emperor of the United States.

Local businesses accepted Norton's self-issued Imperial Scrip currency for goods and services throughout the city.

Norton proposed a bridge and tunnel connecting San Francisco to Oakland decades before they were actually built.

The eighteen seventy federal census officially recorded Joshua Norton's occupation as Emperor.

Ten thousand people attended Norton's funeral after he died in poverty with only five dollars in change.

In this episode
  1. 01Intro1 min
  2. 02The Rice King's Ruin3 min
  3. 03The Proclamation of eighteen fifty-nine2 min
  4. 04Imperial Currency and Civic Duty3 min
  5. 05The Arrest and the Public Outcry2 min
  6. 06Le Roi est Mort2 min
  7. 07Outro1 min
Sources
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