In contrast to most previous works on the subject, this is not a local or regional history, but a book in colonial and/or imperial history which focuses on Prince Edward Island. This broader perspective allows Bumsted to show, for example, that the decision to distribute land to proprietors was a comprehensible and even liberal move by British government in the context of the imperial expansion of the 1760s. Bumsted demonstrates that the external influence of the American Revolution is more important than had been thought, both in isolating the island from Britain and, through the handling of Loyalist immigrants, in exacerbating the conflicts over land ownership. Previously, Prince Edward Island's crucial formative period from 1763 to the end of the eighteenth century has not received sufficient attention, while the proprietorial system has received too much attention without sufficient critical analysis. Land, Settlement, and Politics on Eighteenth-Century Prince Edward isalnd redresses the balance.

Soon after Prince Edward Island was transferred from French to British sovereignty in 1763, virtually the entire land surface was turned over to private proprietors on the understanding that they would finance both settlement and the administration of the territory. While the proprietors did not fulfil their obligations, they clung tenanciously to their privileges, ultimately becoming an anachronistic group of landlords on a North American continent where freehold tenure was the norm. J.M. Bumsted goes beyond the previous "heroes" (residents) and "villains" (landlords) approach of much of Island historiography by demonstrating the intimate interweaving of the issues of land, politics, and settlement.

The Atlantic Provinces cover New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

A lively look at estate management and resistance to land reform in nineteenth-century Prince Edward Island through the life stories of four elite British women landowners.

Previous studies of early Scottish emigration to the New World have tended to concentrate on the miseries of evictions and the destruction of old communities. In this groundbreaking study of the influx of Scots to Prince Edward Island, the widely held assumption that emigration was solely a flight from poverty is challenged. By uncovering previously unreported ship crossings, as well as a wide range of manuscripts and underused sources such as customs records and newspaper shipping reports, the book provides the most comprehensive account to date of the influx of Scots to the Island. “A Very Fine Class of Immigrants” is essential reading for individuals wishing to trace family links or deepen their understanding of how and why the Island came to acquire its distinctive Scottish communities. And by accessing, for the first time, shipping sources like Lloyd’s List and the Lloyd’s Shipping Register, the author brings a new dimension to our understanding of emigrant travel. Campey demonstrates that far from sailing on disease-ridden leaky tubs, as popularly imagined, the Island’s Pioneer Scots usually crossed the Atlantic on the best available ships of the time.

This groundbreaking new volume unites eighteenth-century studies and the environmental humanities, showcasing how these fields can vibrantly benefit one another. In eleven chapters that engage a variety of eighteenth-century texts, contributors explore timely themes and topics such as climate change, new materialisms, the blue humanities, indigeneity and decoloniality, and green utopianism. Additionally, each chapter reflects on pedagogical concerns, asking: How do we teach eighteenth-century environmental humanities? With particular attention to the voices of early-career scholars who bring cutting-edge perspectives, these essays highlight vital and innovative trends that can enrich both disciplines, making them essential for classroom use.