Emperor Norton: America's Only Emperor

Joshua Abraham Norton, a failed businessman, declared himself 'Norton I, Emperor of the United States' in 1859 San Francisco. Rather than being dismissed, the city embraced him. Restaurants gave him free meals, theaters reserved seats for him, and the census listed his occupation as 'Emperor.' He issued his own currency, which was accepted by establishments throughout the city. Norton abolished Congress by decree, ordered the construction of a bridge connecting San Francisco to Oakland (built 60 years after his death), and forbade religious intolerance. When a policeman tried to arrest him for lunacy, the public outcry forced the chief of police to release Norton with a formal apology. When he died in 1880, 30,000 people attended his funeral. Mark Twain based the character 'The King' in Huckleberry Finn on him.