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A 38-page illustrated short story based on the life and times of the first Emperor of the United States. It’s a story for the entire family told by Emperor Norton’s most loyal followers… two rat-catching dogs named Bummer and Lazarus.

In 1849 gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill. Tens of thousands of people from around the world set out to find their fortunes in northern California. One man, an English businessman named Joshua Norton, arrived by ship and became a successful trader. He became so successful in fact, that he became one of the wealthiest men in the city… until he got greedy. He attempted to corner the rice market and ended up losing everything, including a bit of his sanity.

Norton ended up as a vagrant wandering the streets. But nothing could keep his spirits down for long, especially in a place like San Francisco. He soon became one of the most beloved eccentrics in the city’s history.

In 1859 Joshua Norton declared himself
Norton I, Emperor of the United States!

• He ate free at all the restaurants
• He created his own money which was accepted everywhere in the city.
• He was given his own opera box at the theater.
• He rode free on the city's street cars.
• His uniform was provided free by the city.
• He commanded the Bay Bridge be built across the bay to Oakland.

• Mark Twain was a newspaper reporter in San Francisco at the time and based the character of the King after Joshua Norton in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.
• Robert Louis Stevenson mentioned Emperor Norton in “The Wrecker”.
• Norton made many proclamations during his 21-year reign and sent telegrams to all the world leaders.
  • Norton demanded an end to the Civil War and when the conflict continued, he abolished the U.S. Congress and both the Democrat and Republican parties.
  • He commanded that a bridge be built from San Francisco to Oakland. Many years after Joshua Norton died the Bay Bridge was built.
  • He telegrammed world leaders and ordered them to travel to San Francisco to form a League of Nations. More than 65 years later world leaders did come to the city and formed the United Nations.
• When Emperor Norton died, more than 10,000 people attended his funeral. At the gravesite he received a 21-gun salute from the California State Militia.
• Emperor Norton was the subject of episodes in two-television series: “Death Valley Days” (episode 376, aired 6/15/56) and “Bonanza” (episode 225, aired 2/27/66).
• PBS made him part of a segment on Alistair Cooke’s series: “America: A Personal History Of The United States.”
• In motion pictures, a character dressed like the emperor can be spotted leading a parade with his two dogs in a San Francisco march in “Around The World In 80 Days” (1956).
• Emperor Norton has had restaurants and bars, beer and snack chips named after him.
• Several books, plays and operas have been written about the emperor, even a 40-minute dance performance was created titled, “The Improbable Reign of Norton I.”
• Musical groups have been named after the emperor; a rock group called “The Emperor Norton” and two jazz groups called “Emperor Norton’s Jazz Band”, and “Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band”.

And Now… The Emperor of the United States and the First Christmas Tree is a great story for holiday time or any time. It’s an illustrated 38-page short story for the entire family told by his most loyal followers… two rat-catching dogs named Bummer and Lazarus. Download your copy today!

Dravet syndrome is a rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy
that begins in childhood.
$2 of each sale goes to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation
to fund research to find a cure.