Overview

In 1859, a failed businessman in San Francisco made an extraordinary proclamation: he was Norton I, Emperor of the United States. What followed was even more extraordinary-rather than dismissing him as insane, San Francisco embraced him. In this gentle, reflective narrative, Jeremy Brown explores one of the most touching stories in American social history. Emperor Norton issued his own currency, which merchants accepted. Police officers saluted him on the streets. Newspapers published his imperial decrees. For over two decades, this self-proclaimed monarch became not a figure of ridicule, but a beloved symbol of San Francisco's tolerance and imagination. Brown weaves a captivating account of Norton's rise, his famous proclamations (including his prescient order to build a bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland), and the community that treated him with surprising dignity and affection. More than just a biography of an eccentric character, this book examines how communities can choose compassion over judgment, and how identity itself can be an act of creation. A meditation on dignity, imagination, and the gentle ways people can care for one another, Emperor Norton I offers a timeless message about the power of acceptance and the beauty found in our most unusual citizens.

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