The Tenant League of Prince Edward Island, 1864-1867: Leasehold Tenure in the New World

Joseph Leydon teaches geography at the University of Toronto.

Prince Edward Island was an anomaly in the New World. It was the only
region where leasehold dominated the land tenure system. This system of
land holding was imposed by the British in 1767, but throughout the 19th
century it became the bane of the Island’s farmers. Betrayed by the
political system and frustrated by the use of conventional political
means, in the 1860s the farmers took action and formed the Tenant League
of Prince Edward Island. This book looks at the events that led to the
League’s formation, the League’s activities, some of the people
involved, and its impact.

Robertson argues that the League was decisive in ensuring the demise of
the leasehold system on the Island—and further, that historians have
ignored the important role it played, preferring instead to focus on
issues related to Confederation. In so doing, they have neglected one of
the most interesting grassroots movements in 19th-century Canada.

Robertson’s analysis is comprehensive, and he makes good use of maps
to illuminate his analysis and the activities of the League. He compares
the League to similar agrarian movements in Ireland, Scotland, and
Wales, explaining the conditions that made it unique. One fascinating
aspect was the League’s success in circumventing the political and
religious divides that dominated Island politics and uniting tenant
farmers under a common banner. This unity allowed the League to
challenge the Island’s elite, the nonresident proprietors, and the
British government, all of whom were committed to maintaining the
leasehold system.

This book is a worthy addition to Canadian historiography. It will be
especially useful to those interested in Canada’s land tenure system
and in the power relations of the Imperial period.