He attended the public school and Marion Academy for two years[1] and worked on the family farm.

He was admitted to the Iowa Bar Association in 1855 and moved to Sergeant Bluff to start his own legal practice.

In 1864 President Abraham Lincoln appointed James as register of the Dakota County Land Office.

After serving as register of the Dakota County Land Office for five years, James then ran on the Republican ticket and was elected Secretary of State in 1870.

[4] After serving out his term as acting governor, James returned to his legal practice.