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 Islan 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. 

Author Bio: Callum 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. He is married to Lorraine Beck, and they have three children and six grandchildren.