Dr. Callum Beck's new book, The Belfast Riot of 1847, will be launched on March 5, 2025, at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge (Room 201), SDU Main Building Room 201, UPEI. 

On March 1, 1847, Prince Edward Island experienced the second-worst election riot in Canadian history. 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 Prince Edward Island for the next 125 years. The Belfast Riot of 1847 examines the social and political conditions that led to the riot, introduces us to the major players on both sides, provides a detailed account of its unfolding, and takes a nuanced look at who was to blame. 

The Belfast Riot of 1847 was published with the support of a SSHRC Exchange Publication Award from the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research at UPEI. 

Dr. 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. He has served as a pastor and as sessional faculty at UPEI. 

The event is free, and all are welcome. Thanks to the Bookmark, books will be available for purchase.

There will also be a book launch on March 30, at 1:00 pm, at the Eptek Art and Culture Centre in Summerside.

For more information, contact Bren Simmers at Island Studies Press, 902-566-0386 or ispstaff@upei.ca.