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The small city of Colma,California,is just a few kilometers south of San Francisco.Many people visit the city each year to see the burial(埋葬) place of one very unusual man in the city's Woodlawn Cemetery(墓地).These visiters come to see a memorial stone placed on his grave.
The writing on the stone says in large letters,"NORTON :THE FIRST EMPEROR OF THE UNITED STATES AND PROTECTOR OF MEXICO."Under this,in smaller size letters ,is,“Joshua A. Norton Born in 1819.Died on January 8th,1880.”
The writing on the stone says in large letters,"NORTON :THE FIRST EMPEROR OF THE UNITED STATES AND PROTECTOR OF MEXICO."Under this,in smaller size letters ,is,“Joshua A. Norton Born in 1819.Died on January 8th,1880.”
Anyone knows that the United States is a democracy. The president and other political leaders of the United States are elected to office by the citizens. There is no royal family ,no king ,and no emperor.
Yet,Joshua Abraham Norton declared himself to be Emperor of the United States on September 17th,1859.
He sent an announcement to the newspapers of San Francisco saying he was "Emperor Norton the First of the United States and the Protector of Mexico."The newspapers did not publish it.
Many people in San Francisco knew Joshua Norton.He was born in England in 1819.He moved to San Francisco from South Africa.He arrived with a lot of money.He later lost all his money in a very bad financial deal. This greatly affected him.
Yet,Joshua Abraham Norton declared himself to be Emperor of the United States on September 17th,1859.
He sent an announcement to the newspapers of San Francisco saying he was "Emperor Norton the First of the United States and the Protector of Mexico."The newspapers did not publish it.
Many people in San Francisco knew Joshua Norton.He was born in England in 1819.He moved to San Francisco from South Africa.He arrived with a lot of money.He later lost all his money in a very bad financial deal. This greatly affected him.
Joshua Norton no longer was the same man.Most of his friends believed the shock of losing all his money had taken away his ability to reason and to live in the real world. Poor Joshua Norton was not dangerous or violent,but he no longer knew what was real and what was only imaginary.
Soon after he declared himself to be the Emperor of the United States,Joshua Norton began wearing blue military clothing.A soldier at the army base in San Francisco gave him the gold colored buttons and gold cloth.It made his uniform seem as if it belonged to a general——orperhaps a king——or even an Emperor.
Emperor Norton the First soon became the best known man in San Francisco. He always wore his uniform and a tall hat.When people saw they would show the respect given a king or emperor. Emperor Norton usually did not have any money.But he did not something little from a store,that was also freely given.Sometime he paid with his own kind of money.It was paper money with his picture on it.
Many store bengan placing a small sign in the store window. The sign said ,"By Appointment to his Majesty ,Emperor Norton the First."The sign meant the store or eating-place had been approved by the Emperor of the United States.Store that had the signs noted that their business increased.
Soon after he declared himself to be the Emperor of the United States,Joshua Norton began wearing blue military clothing.A soldier at the army base in San Francisco gave him the gold colored buttons and gold cloth.It made his uniform seem as if it belonged to a general——orperhaps a king——or even an Emperor.
Emperor Norton the First soon became the best known man in San Francisco. He always wore his uniform and a tall hat.When people saw they would show the respect given a king or emperor. Emperor Norton usually did not have any money.But he did not something little from a store,that was also freely given.Sometime he paid with his own kind of money.It was paper money with his picture on it.
Many store bengan placing a small sign in the store window. The sign said ,"By Appointment to his Majesty ,Emperor Norton the First."The sign meant the store or eating-place had been approved by the Emperor of the United States.Store that had the signs noted that their business increased.
Emperor Nortonbegan sending royal orders——called "decrees(法令)"——to the newspapers of San Francisco. The newspapers began publishing them. Many people thought they were funny.Some people bought the newspapers just to read about the latest decree from the Emperor of the United States.
Perhaps Emperor Norton's most famous decree ordered the city goverment to build a bridge from the city of Oakland to a small island in San Francisco Bay.It said the bridge should extend from the little island to San Francisco.
City leaders did nothing about building the bridge. So Emperor Norton ordered them removed from office. Nothing happened,of course,to the city leaders or about the bridge.
Many years later,after Emperor Norton's death,a bridge was built extending from San Francisco to the city of Oakland. It was placed almost in the exact spot that Emperor Norton had decreed. It is called the Bay Bridge.Thousands of cars pass over it every day.
Perhaps Emperor Norton's most famous decree ordered the city goverment to build a bridge from the city of Oakland to a small island in San Francisco Bay.It said the bridge should extend from the little island to San Francisco.
City leaders did nothing about building the bridge. So Emperor Norton ordered them removed from office. Nothing happened,of course,to the city leaders or about the bridge.
Many years later,after Emperor Norton's death,a bridge was built extending from San Francisco to the city of Oakland. It was placed almost in the exact spot that Emperor Norton had decreed. It is called the Bay Bridge.Thousands of cars pass over it every day.
