Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
priceonomics.com
Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
1–10 of 37 posts
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#2Being a Norton, I long ago heard about this guy.
Though I have no idea why it's on priceonomics. This article contains less info than the wikipedia page.
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#3If you want to learn more about Joshua Norton, I make a history podcast, and I talked about him (and Jose Sarria, another San Francisco celebrity) in episode 8:
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#4Only in San Francisco ;) Now, talking about some real power, if there was a real emperor in the U.S., it was a New York's public servant - Robert Moses.
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#5Only in San Francisco ;) Now, talking about some real power, if there was a real emperor in the U.S., it was a New York's public servant - Robert Moses.
I hear that "The Power Broker", a biography of Moses and winner of the Pulitzer in 1974, is a fantastic read :)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Broker-Robert-Moses/dp/03947...
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#6I wonder if San Francisco would still work for things like this.
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#7Only in San Francisco ;) Now, talking about some real power, if there was a real emperor in the U.S., it was a New York's public servant - Robert Moses.
I hear that "The Power Broker", a biography of Moses and winner of the Pulitzer in 1974, is a fantastic read :) http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Broker-Robert-Moses/dp/03947... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_Broker
Yes, it is. I read it in a public policy seminar my freshman year in school and it's had a huge effect on how I understand politics and power. In some ways, I like it better than the magisterial "Years of Lyndon Johnson".
Highly, highly recommended.
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#8I've always been fond of Emperor Norton. He's a figure that fits right into the modern SF tapestry.
He fits in so well that I wonder what historical figures have fallen by the wayside of San Francisco history. The Emperor seems culturally prophetic now, but there must have been other notable figures
Are there Bay Area public figures who were notable in their day, but whose character has not aged as well?
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#9Only in San Francisco ;) Now, talking about some real power, if there was a real emperor in the U.S., it was a New York's public servant - Robert Moses.
I hear that "The Power Broker", a biography of Moses and winner of the Pulitzer in 1974, is a fantastic read :) http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Broker-Robert-Moses/dp/03947... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_Broker
Well, great. A 1300-page book available for under $15 plus international shipping... or as an audiobook, 66 hours long ( but free shipping!) for... $70?
Something has gone deeply wrong in the market here. If only there were some way to convey three and a half pounds of information across the ocean in less than a month and for a reasonable price. :(
Ironically, it seems to be easy to buy an ebook of cliffs notes to this one.
Re: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States
#10I wonder if San Francisco would still work for things like this.
Probably the closest modern-day equivalent San Francisco has is Frank Chu, well-known protestor of 12 Galaxies fame. San Francisco still cherishes it's eccentrics.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Chu