One Great 150 - Sarah Ballenden

The summer of 1850 saw the Red River Colony embroiled in scandal. Captain Christopher Foss was sueing several residents of Upper Fort Garry for defamation after they'd accused Sarah Ballenden (the Metis wife of the Chief Factor, and functionally the first lady of the fort) of having an affair. Social lines were drawn within the colony, highlighting the divides that been steadily growing over the past decade. Support the show on Patreon! For $5 a month you also get access to our bonus episodes, including post 150 episode discussions on sources and what we had to leave out. Thanks to the Winnipeg Free Press and the Manitoba Historical Society for their support! You can check out a brief write up of the episode in the Winnipeg Free Press. About One Great 150: The premise is simple: 15 people, 150 years. With 16 episodes leading up November 9th, 2023 - the 150th anniversary of the signing of Winnipeg's incorporation papers.