The history of the Prince Edward Islands is a crucial aspect of Canada's past. The work of historians has helped to develop and essentially create a complex and revealing historiography. The early history of Prince Edward Island is difficult to classify before its entry into Canada, due to its isolated geography and strong British influence. The most notable depictions of Prince Edward Island and the problem of absentee property in the 18th century are typified by the works of some of the most notable scholars in the field: --------- -.Three Centuries and the Island: A Historical Geography of Settlement and Agriculture in Prince Edward Island, Canada, written by Andrew Hill Clark in 1959. Clark wrote with the aim of exploring the wider origins of the island, as its geography was constantly changing and changing. It maps both the population and the agricultural geographies which constitute the basis of the land question and land development. Canada's Smallest Province: A History of Prince Edward Island was published in 1973 and edited by Francis WP Bolger who wrote the two articles on which it will focus. First, “Land and politics, 1787-1824”, second, “The disappearance of rents and escheat, 1824-1842”. Interestingly, the book was published by the Prince Edward Island Centennial Commission in 1973 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its entry into Confederation. This gives the impression that the province is being presented in an overly positive light, given its financial support. It reflects the land issue and its effects on the political, economic and social triangle of island development. Bolger "hopes that this volume will enable his readers to appreciate some of the important themes and issues in the history of Canada's smallest province" (Prologue). Bo...... middle of paper...... economic growth favored by the state against those who have maintained... the need for fundamental land reform [as] a central issue on the island (41 ). Although the escheat significantly limited the owner's profitability, which he believes added to his struggle to succeed (273). The sustainability of land reform took the form of a popular movement, but ultimately called into question things as they are. Bittermann emphasizes this point because it is the basis of the strength of the Esheats movement, which brought together workers and their desire to "build a better world, in part by gaining greater control over the power of the State” (272). Bittermann's focus on the social movement and the development of social and economic history on the island shapes what has often been overlooked in his previous work, making his work a trap between the "bad" owners and the attempted state land regulation..