Prince Edward Island’s Bumpy Road to Joining Confederation

Delegates at the Charlottetown Conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in September 1864, the first of a series of meetings that ultimately led to the formation of the Dominion of Canada. Public Domain

Commentary

Prince Edward Island’s entry into Confederation, which did not occur until 1873, was delayed by a rough-edged, self-educated hot-head and brawler, a farmer, brewer, and distiller with a penchant for duelling “with sword or pistol.” George Coles’ curious dark energy helps explain why the Cradle of Confederation”—it was P.E.I. that hosted the 1864 Charlottetown Conference that launched the negotiations—did not actually join Confederation until nine years later, when the Dominion was six years old.