James Ross  1835 - 1871

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Early life and education

James Ross was born on May 9th, 1835 in the Red River Settlement. His father Alexander Ross worked for the HBC before settling in Manitoba 1825. His mother was Sarah “Sally” (Timentwa) Ross, a Sylix woman from the Okanagan region.

He took over the many roles his father had in the settlement, such as Sheriff, and pursued his education at the University of Toronto. James graduated with honors and later achieved his master’s degree from the University of Toronto. While he was in Toronto, James married Margaret Smith and had five children with her. Later he moved back to the settlement to handle some family matters with his father’s ageing condition.

James Ross

James Ross and his wife Margaret Smith

​In 1869, James and his family moved back to the Settlement where he became involved in local politics. He represented the English settlers in many disputes with the French community, and believed that people needed to cooperate in order to avoid conflict. His Scottish-Metis background likely left him in a difficult position as political conflicts took on an increasingly ethnic dimension, and James became a leading moderate voice. His actions and beliefs put him in opposition to those who used to support him, and he was blacklisted from the Canadian Party.

POlitics on the settlement

Upon his return to the settlement in 1859 he was appointed Postmaster, taking over the job after his brother William's untimely death. He joined in the founding of the Nor’ Wester, the first newspaper in the Settlement, along with his brother in law William Coldwell. James built a reputation for writing articles that heavily-criticized the Canadian Imperial government and the HBC, which eventually led them to revoke his many official titles and roles. He eventually moved back to Ontario where he worked as a journalist for other publications such as The Globe, and continued to criticize the HBC and the Canadian government.

James street in Winnipeg

Due to his now-complicated position in politics, he became more involved with Riel’s provisional government. James acted as the English spokesman as well as the opposition within the group. His actions were seen as valuable to Riel, who appointed him as Chief Justice within the Provisional Government. His role in the politics of the newly formed province was marked by his vocal opposition to the Canadian Party, a group which advocated for violence and nearly sparked a civil war. James helped negotiate a document known as the "Metis Bill of Rights", which outlined terms for Manitoba's entry into confederation. He opposed violence and distanced himself from Riel when the decision was made to execute Thomas Scott.

James also backed Colin Inkster’s political campaign as a moderate candidate for the "Old Timer's Party" in Manitoba's first elections. 
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End of life

In May of 1871, James Ross became the third person to be admitted to the bar of Manitoba. James struggled with alcoholism following the dramatic events of the Red River Resistance, and his health never recovered. He  contracted tuberculosis and died suddenly in September of 1871 at the age of 36. He was considered one of the settlement’s most important Metis political figures.