John Bruce
John Bruce or Brousse ( 1837 - October 26, 1893 ) was a Canadian politician and judge . He was the first president of the Red River Colony Provisional Government during the Red River Rebellion in 1869.
biography
Bruce worked as a carpenter at Fort Garry (now Winnipeg ), as well as assisting other Métis in court hearings. In October 1869 a " National Committee of the Métis" was formed, with Bruce as President and Louis Riel as Secretary. Their goal was to prevent Lieutenant Governor-elect William McDougall from entering the Red River Colony until the Canadian government had made firm commitments regarding land rights . The National Committee proclaimed a Provisional Government on December 8, 1869, and designated Bruce as its President. However, he resigned the office on December 27th to Riel and justified this with health problems.
As Bruce remained passive in the further course of the rebellion, Lieutenant Governor Adams George Archibald appointed him after the establishment of the new Manitoba Province as judge for minor offenses and magistrate. In August 1871, with the Métis at the mercy of the radical Canadian Party and volunteer militias from Ontario , Bruce sold his lot and moved to North Dakota .
Bruce is said to have participated in a (ultimately failed) attack by the Fenian Brotherhood , as he preferred the annexation of Manitoba by the United States . He was then released from his offices. In 1874 he turned against his former comrades -in-arms when he testified in court against Ambroise-Dydime Lépine , the military commander of the Provisional Government.
Web links
- John Bruce . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bruce, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian politician and judge |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1837 |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 7, 1893 |