This talk will explore the lives of the approximately four hundred Scottish soldiers taken prisoner at the Battles of Dunbar (1650) and Worcester (1651) who were shipped to New England in forced labor. Most served their five-to-seven-year indentures at the Saugus Ironworks, the sawmills of northern New England, or other hard and dangerous jobs. Once freed they were granted land and became permanent settlers, though their language, customs and Presbyterian faith made them a distinct element in “Puritan” New England.

Emerson "Tad" Baker is a professor of History at Salem State University and has previously served as vice provost and dean of the graduate school. He is the award-winning author or co-author of six books on the history and archaeology of early New England, including A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. Baker has served as consultant and on-camera expert for historical documentaries and TV shows for networks ranging from PBS and TLC to Smithsonian and the History Channel.