In Joshua Abraham Norton declared himself Emperor of the United States Norton had made mdash and lost mdash his fortune in San Francisco shipping but he wanted a new identity America rsquo s first emperor When the San Francisco Evening Bulletin printed ldquo Emperor rdquo Norton rsquo s announcement most readers laughed Norton made pronouncements aimed at correcting society rsquo s ills printed his own currency and even wrote letters to Queen Victoria asking her to marry him and unite their kingdoms He wore royal military uniforms designed by local tailors One observer said Norton looked ldquo every inch a [... more]