In this timeline, Emperor Norton never made the mistake of trying to corner the rice market. But he did adopt the imperial persona. The Emperor would achieve a cult of personality within a couple years. His followers took over the government of San Francisco.
They declared him the sovereign ruler of San Francisco, and the rightful Emperor of America. He began importing goods from Mexico, and parts of the Spanish empire. Forming a very strong relationship with the Spanish speaking world. Queen Isabella the 2nd, and President Mariano Arista recognized the legitimacy of his rule.
Which angered the United States greatly.
Governor Peter Burnett & his successor John McDougall were very vocal about the “Traitor State of San Francisco”
They’d request permission to attack them from Washington. However by the time that their message got to President Zachary Taylor’s desk. He was on his death bed, and President Fillmore didn’t consider it a significant issue.
Emperor Norton announced that his police force will be reformed into a proper military. That’s being armed by Spain & trained by Mexico. This however did get the President’s attention.
He sent a letter informing them that they are free to do as they see fit. As long as the traitors attack first. That’ll make it look better with the soft-hearted section of America’s upper class.
Nothing of note occurred until 1858. When Emperor Norton announced the North California Campaign. At the same time the unrest between the North & South is brewing. Some believe a civil war is coming.
The Emperor’s men attacked San José at two o’clock in the morning. The San Franciscan Artillery were ordered to give San José an hour of hellfire. At 3AM the infantrymen entered the city. Pillaging, partying, and fighting off the ill-prepared protectors of the city.
They were armed to deal with belligerent drunks, and bandits. The city officially surrendered at five o’clock in the morning. The Emperor’s domain has grown. The Governor John B. Weller sent one thousand men to fight the Emperor’s men.
They met outside San Francisco. The Governor knew that one thousand men would be there to defend the city. However he wasn’t aware that Mexico sent a cavalry regiment to San Francisco. They were sent to help train the mounted police.
1,000 Emperor’s men & 600 Mexican cavalrymen
VS
1,000 soldiers from the California military reserves.
It followed standard Gentleman’s Warfare rules for five or ten minutes at the most. The Emperor’s artillery was ordered to fire at the center & fire at will. The Emperors infantry continued to take turns shooting at them.
The Mexican cavalry was tasked with catching & cutting down any Californian soldier that retreats. It was like shooting fish in barrel or dropping dynamite in a lake. Bodies, bodies, and you guessed it! More bodies!
After a casualty count of eight hundred men. The Californian reserves surrendered. They were given an option presented to them by the Emperor himself. Defect or die!
One hundred and ninety-nine of them defected. After one fool said “You ain’t gonna do shit once the Union marches West!”
A comment that led to a bullet in the mouth.
After this embarrassing loss, the Governor would only send men to settlements to strengthen defenses. He never went on the offensive again. In 1860, the Northern California Campaign ended.
The Empire of America was born. Emperor Norton announced a plan to fund his domain. A plan that’d minimize the tax burden on individuals. He was a big fan of Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, Sir Robert Filmer, and Jean-Bapiste Colbert.
In 1861, the American Civil War began. The Confederate States of America, and the British East India Company sent representatives to San Francisco.
Emperor Norton to the Confederate Ambassador:
“While I detest the United States, and the ideology that permeates through their capital. I also despise everything that the Confederacy stands for. I don’t care for this foolish notion of states rights. I also am fervently opposed to chattel slavery. Humans are not livestock. Send them back to their homelands. We chose to be here, they didn’t have any say in the matter.
Now leave my royal court before you end up a eunuch!”
The Confederate left while mumbling something under his breath. The conversation with the British East India representative would prove more fruitful. He’d establish ties to the British East India Company. While maintaining his neutral but cautious stance towards the British Empire.
He hated that the British Crown refused to recognize him, and still does to this day. He also had to be careful about his associations. Because of his relationship with the Spanish Empire & Mexico. He did marry the twenty-four year old daughter of an influential Mexican businessman recently.
Emperor Norton would see the conquest of Oregon, Washington, Yukon, and British Columbia before his death. His heir would go to war with the United States for Alaska.
In 1887, The Empire declared war on the United States for Alaska. This war only lasted three months. It was expensive to defend Alaska. So, they just let Norton’s Empire take it.
The United States won the Civil War in this timeline also. So that doesn’t change.
The United States would makeup for territorial losses by joining the colonial empire club. The Americans conquered the Caribbean, Ivory Coast, Iceland, and the Philippines. All of these colonies became US states by 1912.
The only part of the Caribbean that remains independent is Haiti.
The Nortonian Empire of America sided with the Central Powers in World War 1. Helping them achieve victory against the Allied Powers. However in World War 2, they’d side with the Allies against the Axis Powers.
The Axis Powers are Fascist Italy, Soviet Russia, and Imperial Japan. Japan was the primary villain of this World War. Because of their cruel experiments in Mainland Asia, and ruthless expansionism. Italy was simply trying to bring the Roman Empire back. Soviet Russia’s goals are basically the same.
Except the Romanov’s weren’t murdered. Joseph Stalin is the Prime Minister of Russia. The ideology of Russia is socialistic monarchism.
The Nortonian Empire of America & the People’s Republic of China became bitter rivals. After a trade dispute, and jokes about one of Emperor Norton II’s daughters. They’ve been at war on & off since 1952.
With Russia or Japan always bringing them to the table to discuss peace.
President Nixon did accept Mao’s offer to send millions of Chinese women to America in this timeline. He settled most of them in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Carolinas.
Monarchism is still a common form of government. Traditional empires also still exist. There isn’t one single superpower claiming hegemony over everything.
Red Cult of Nyx 