Treasure hunt begins in England

Chapter 568 Norton I

The United States of America was a republic from the beginning, and there were no officially recognized aristocrats, let alone an emperor, but this did not mean that there were no self-appointed people in this country.

You know, there are a lot of guys who call themselves gods in this land, and there are definitely a lot of guys who call themselves kings and emperors.

But most of these guys are just playing with themselves, similar to how modern people give themselves a cool screen name on the Internet. Although no one cares about this matter, they will not be remembered by the public.

But there is still one exception among so many people, and that is Norton I, who is recognized by the people as the only emperor of the United States.

"Norton I" was originally named Joshua Abraham Norton and was born in England. In 1849, Norton, in his thirties, came to the United States to do business with $30, but soon declared bankruptcy.

Out of dissatisfaction with the overall environment in the United States, on September 1859, 9, he published an edict through a San Francisco newspaper declaring himself Emperor of the United States.

"Norton I" dressed up in order to show the majesty of the emperor. He wore a beaver fur "crown" with feathers, a blue uniform with gold-plated epaulettes, and a sword on his waist. To "surround" the streets of San Francisco.

The citizens of San Francisco happily accepted the "emperor," and some curtseyed to him in the street.He often supervises the construction of municipal facilities, supervises the work of the police, and often speaks as a guest at various celebrations.

From the perspective of future generations, Norton I did have a vision that transcended the times. He criticized various types of corruption and fraud, criticized unreasonable taxation, and "protected" people's right to enjoy fair taxation and basic services.

He advocated fair treatment and ethnic equality: he advocated giving women the right to vote; allowing African-American residents to take trams and enter schools; and asked the court to allow Chinese-Americans to testify in court.Declared that "the emperor's eyes will be on everyone who bullies Chinese residents." He also publicly stated that "any Indian spy or organization that deceives Indians should be severely punished."

He also advocated "separation of church and state" and "religious equality", and demanded the abolition of laws that discriminated against Germans and Jews.

The most important thing is that he didn't just do it with words. Although he was not a real emperor and didn't have any power, he still practiced every initiative he made.

In the 19s and 70s, there were anti-Chinese riots in San Francisco. In order to quell the riots, he recited the Bible and prayed repeatedly among the mob and the Chinese, and finally made the mob disperse in shame.

In addition, he publicly opposed slavery before the Civil War, called for the emancipation of black slaves, and organized a series of demonstrations. These acts of kindness made him respected by the people.

Also because of this series of actions, people began to really pay attention to him, instead of simply treating him as a lunatic or a clown.

In 1867, "Norton I" was arrested by the police, which aroused the anger of San Francisco people. Under the pressure of public opinion, the police had to release "Norton I".

And as everyone's recognition of him, he also enjoys certain privileges in San Francisco.For example, he can eat for free at the best restaurants in San Francisco, and these restaurants are also proud of being able to hang the "American Emperor's Designated Restaurant" sign.

The theater in San Francisco reserved three seats in the front row for him, and the rent for the apartment where he lived was covered by the Masons.

When he needed to pay, he issued "royal" bills, in denominations ranging from 50 cents to $5.These bills are generally accepted by stores and banks in San Francisco.

"Norton I" has issued many decrees, the most important one is to order the US military to dissolve Congress.However, "Norton I" had no influence over the military.

He wanted to establish an international organization similar to the United Nations so that people of different countries and beliefs could sit together and discuss issues. As a result, after the end of World War I, this idea really began to be realized step by step;
He also asked the US government to build a suspension bridge connecting Oakland and San Francisco. This was implemented in the 20s, and people built one of the most famous bridges in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge, where he planned.

If you visit the bridge today, you will see this sign on one of its bridges: "Travellers, please stop and thank Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico (reigned 1859-1880), He had the foresight to conceive and order the bridge over San Francisco Bay."

Judging from these historical facts, he is more like an idealist with justice in his heart, but the gap between his dream and his power is too far, but this cannot conceal his humanity the flash point.

After all, hard work is very important to this world, but it also requires some people to have their own dreams, because in many cases, it is dreams that guide the direction of human progress.

On the night of January 1880, 1, the first and last emperor of the United States, Joshua Norton, collapsed on California Street and Dupont Street while en route to a lecture at the Academy of Sciences.

Immediately after he fainted, he was noticed by a citizen and called the police. Later, according to a newspaper: "The police drove the carriage with whips and drove him to the city hospital." However, Norton I "died" before the carriage arrived. .

Some San Francisco newspapers with larger circulation issued obituaries about "Norton I" in sad tones.His entire fortune at the time of his death was only a few dollars.

According to historical records, he once received a lot of money after he declared himself the emperor of the United States, but in the end he donated it to those who needed help more, but he didn't leave much money.Because of the good deeds of more than 20 years, the funeral of "Norton I" was solemn and grand. 3 people spontaneously lined up on both sides of the street to see him off, and the line was 3 kilometers long.

On June 1934, 6, the city of San Francisco moved his remains to Woodland Mausoleum.A new, not shabby, marble tombstone was erected to Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.

On January 1980, 1, San Francisco held a special ceremony to commemorate the centenary of the death of their only emperor. In 7, when Norton was born 2018 years ago, people held a ceremony again for him.

There is a lot of controversy about this little-known figure in American history. Some people think he is a clown and a lunatic, but some people think he is a good man with high morals.

The famous American writer Mark Twain had close contact with Norton I when he was a reporter in San Francisco, and he also had his own views on this man.

According to his observations, Norton I was not as crazy as people thought. Except for the self-proclaimed emperor, his words and deeds were normal, and he did not have the hallucinations common to schizophrenic patients.

"He is not a lunatic, he is a "good emperor" who loves his people. Unfortunately, he is not a real emperor." After listening to Liang En's explanation to this person, Joan of Arc said with a sigh.

"That's right, at least what he did shows that he is really thinking of everyone, and at the same time he is recognized by everyone." Liang En said with a smile.

"After all, among so many kings and emperors throughout the ages, few are still remembered 100 years after his death, so from this point of view, he is already a qualified emperor."

(End of this chapter)