This study of Prince Edward Island until 1873 traces the island's history from pre-history through to the colony's reluctant entry into Confederation. Topics will include the nature and impact of settlement in the colony, the French Regime, the development of colonial institutions and the colonial economy, the struggle for Responsible Government, and the influence of the land tenure system on the economic, political, and social development of the Island.
'The Island Magazine' is a publication of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation; the Foundation recently granted permission for the UPEI Library to digitize the full print back-file of this magazine, from 1976 through 2007. Arrangements to present the full digital archive of the Island Magazine on-line are being finalized, but in the meantime, we are pleased to offer Island Magazine articles from the reading list for this course as electronic reserves. We gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, and the work of Kris Bulman, UPEI Library Digitization Technician, for making this possible.
The scans are archive quality so they may be quite sizable. You may wish to save the files to your own computer rather than trying to open them directly from the internet. To do so, simply right click on the link and select Save as... or Save Link as.. and after they download, they will open much more quickly, especially if you are on dial-up.
Week 1
John R. DeGrace, "In the Story of the Earth, the Page Called Prince Edward Island," The Island Magazine, 46(Fall/Winter 1999).
Week 2
David L. Keenlyside and Helen Kristmanson, "The Palaeo-Environment and the People of Prince Edward Island: An Archaeological Perspective," in Time and a Place: An Environmental History of Prince Edward Island (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press & Island Studies Press, 2016): 59-74.
Week 3
Georges Arsenault, "The Settlement of Havre Saint-Pierre," The Island Magazine, 53(Spring/Summer 2003).
Helen Kristmanson, “Archaeology at Point-aux-Vieux,” The Island Magazine, 77(Spring/Summer 2015): 22-38.
Week 4
A.J.B Johnston and Jesse Francis, Ni’n na L’nu: The Mi’kmaq of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown: Acorn Press, 2013: 47-54.
Helen Kristmanson, “Archaeology at Point-aux-Vieux, Part Two,” The Island Magazine, 78(Fall/Winter 2015): 21-39.
Georges Arsenault, “The Saga of Alexis Doiron,” The Island Magazine, 39(Spring/Summer 1996): 12-18.
Week 5
Rusty Bittermann, Rural Protest on Prince Edward Island from British Colonization to the Escheat Movement (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006): 9-26.
F. J. Thorpe, “HOLLAND, SAMUEL JOHANNES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 6, 2025, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/holland_samuel_johannes_5E.html
Harry Baglole, “PATTERSON (Paterson), WALTER,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 4, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 6, 2025, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/patterson_walter_4E.html
Week 6
Harry Holman, “Unintended Consequence: A Bermudian Deserter and the Repeal of Prince Edward Island’s Slave Law,” The Island Magazine, 93(Spring/Summer 2024): 18-26.
Tammy MacDonald, “Wisqoq (Black Ash) from Forest to Fine Art,” The Island Magazine, 91(Fall/Winter 2022): 3-10.
Week 7
Harry Baglole, "William Cooper of Sailor's Hope," The Island Magazine, 7(Fall/Winter 1979).
Ian Ross Robertson, "The Posse Comitatus Incident of 1865," The Island Magazine, 24(Fall/Winter 1988)
Week 8
Mike Kennedy, "‘The People Are Leaving': Highland Emigration to Prince Edward Island," The Island Magazine, 53(Spring/Summer 2003).
H.T. Holman, “The Belfast Riot,”The Island Magazine, 14(Fall/Winter 1983): 3-7.
Week 9
Wayne MacKinnon, “George Coles and the Achievement of Responsible Government,” The Island Magazine, 90(Spring Summer 2022): 16-23.