The Ultimate Challenge

[Equuleus]

Make Joshua Norton the actual Emperor without ASB. POD is his birth in 1819.

[Equuleus]

No takers eh?

[perfectgeneral]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Norton
Born February 4, 1819 in London (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London) ?
Move to to South Africa in 1820?
Have his family (John Norton (d. August 1848) and Sarah Norden) find gold and diamonds for some starting capital...

When he moves to San Fran in 1848 he does proportionately better out of real estate and moves into gold fields there and then in British Columbia.

As governor of California declares independence when the confederation secedes (civil war). Gains support from the British to declare Cascadia. This is a large version that includes the whole of pacific coast USA right back to the Rockies (seven western-most states).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/RockyMountainsLocatorMap.png
Thomas Starr King is arrested for sedition.

Easy

May as well split Northern California off to form the state of Jefferson (he was keen on an independent state on the west coast) off to make eight states in the empire of Cascadia. Columbia and Alaska would join later.

[Equuleus]

How about Emperor of the whole United States? ;)

Bonus points for Protector of Mexico.