The Belfast Riot of 1847

Island Studies Press will launch Callum Beck’s new book, The Belfast Riot of 1847, this month with events in Charlotteown and Summerside.

On March 1, 1847, Prince Edward Island experienced the second-worst election riot in Canadian history. This seldom-discussed event is the subject of Beck’s new book, published by Island Studies Press with the support of a SSHRC Exchange Publication Award from the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research at UPEI. 

During the Belfast Riot, about 200 Scottish Protestants and 300 Irish Catholics got into a brawl, resulting in at least three men dead and up to 100 others injured. This event set the stage for the hardening of the sectarian conflict between Protestants and Catholics on PEI for the next 125 years. The Belfast Riot of 1847 examines the social and political conditions that led to the riot, introduces the reader to the major players on both sides, provides a detailed account of its unfolding, and takes a nuanced look at who was to blame. 

Beck was born and raised in Charlottetown, PEI. He completed a BA in Philosophy at UPEI, a Master of Arts in Religion at Emmanuel School of Religion in Tennessee, and a PhD at Open University in the UK. Professionally he has served as a pastor and sessional faculty at UPEI. 

The Charlottetown book launch will be held on March 5 at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building Room 201, UPEI. The Summerside launch will be on March 30 at 1 pm at the Eptek Art & Culture Centre. The events are free, and all are welcome. Thanks to the Bookmark and the Eptek Centre, books will be available for purchase.