Land of the Red Soil

A Popular History of Prince Edward Island

by Douglas Baldwin

Canada's smallest province has a rich and fascinating history. Its first inhabitants, the Mi'kmaq, named this crescent-shaped island Abegweit ("cradled in the waves"); the Acadian settlers, who were deported in 1758 by the British, called it Ile St. Jean; and the British referred to it as St. John's Island. It wasn't until 1799 that it became known as Prince Edward Island. Canada's "Cradle of Confederation" has hosted many events, from the historic Charlottetown Conference in 1864 to the 1997 opening of the longestbridge over ice-covered water in the world.

This updated and revised edition of Land of the Red Soil includes new information about the Confederation Bridge, the growth of Japanese tourism, the changing economy, health care, the role of women in Island history, the writings of Lucy Maud Montgomery and much more. It's a "must have" illustrated popular history for Islanders and those unfortunate enough to "come from away."

From the Preface

The study of history is a dynamic process; our knowledge of the past is constantly expanding as we find new sources and ask different questions of previously examined material. Sometimes, we witness history in the making: the decision to build a “fixed link” between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick and the subsequent construction of the Confederation Bridge was such an occasion. For over a century, Islanders had debated the pros and cons of some permanent connection to the mainland; after a plebiscite, court challenges and prolonged negotiations, the construction of the longest bridge over ice-covered water in the world was completed in 1997, and history was made, with the world watching.

The first edition of Land of the Red Soil was published in 1990. This new and revised edition retains those aspects of the first edition that made it so popular, while benefiting from the discoveries and interpretations made by historians over the last decade. It includes several new chapters, updated statistics, and an expanded discussion of such topics as the reasons for the growth of Japanese tourists (in 1995, Japanese publishing house Kawade Shobo Shinsha published a Japanese edition of Land of the Red Soil); the role of women; the economy and the environment; education and public health; the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery; and, of course, the Confederation Bridge.

I hope you enjoy reading this new and revised Land of the Red Soil as much as I have enjoyed researching P.E.I. history.

Douglas Baldwin
History Department
Acadia University
March 1998