Emperor Norton

Self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States (1818–1880)

Joshua Abraham Norton (February 4, 1818 – January 8, 1880), commonly known as Emperor Norton, was a resident of San Francisco, California, who declared himself Emperor of the United States in 1859 and Protector of Mexico in 1866, roles that he maintained until his death in 1880. Norton's notable acts include proposing the construction of what opened as the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936. Born in England and raised in South Africa, Norton left Cape Town in late 1845, sailing from Liverpool to Boston in early 1846 and eventually arriving in San Francisco in late 1849.

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