San Francisco's Self-Proclaimed Emperor

San Francisco, California. As well as U.S. history, you probably don't know that the U.S. Congress was officially abolished in 1859. After decades of corruption, its powers were stripped and its members were effectively banned from governing the people of the United States. All former members of Congress were told to evacuate the Capitol, effective immediately. All who did not comply with this request would be forcibly removed from the premises by the commanding general of the United States Army, Winfield Scott.

TIMELINE
1849: The gold rush of 1849 had grown the population from 1,000 to 25,000 in a single year.
1850: Though he never acquired any official power, the emperor became the unofficial mascot of the young city of San Francisco, which had been incorporated only 10 years earlier, in 1850.
1867: In 1867, Norton was arrested by a private security force on charges of madness for the purposes of committing him to what was called in those days an asylum for the insane.
1880: On January 8, 1880, Norton suffered a stroke on his way to a night lecture at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of San Francisco is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 9 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 88 (Crescent City, California)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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