Community without Borders: Scots Migrants and the Changing Face of Power in the Dutch Republic, c. 1600-1700

This text is aimed at anyone interested in the cultural meaning of pre-industrial migration. Arguing that early modern European migrants could fundamentally influence their fate and their adopted communities, it explores the world of Scots migrants to the Dutch port of Rotterdam, circa 1600-1700. The heart of the study is a reconstruction of the social networks that Scots used to establish and sustain themselves in Rotterdam, drawn from narrative sources. Through their social ties, Scots also told stories and kept memories as they created complex identities encompassing Rotterdam, Scotland and places further afield. By shaping their relationships to Rotterdam, Scots had a broad impact on their aopted home. Their actions helped change Rotterdam’s political, religious, and legal fabric and even tied Rotterdam to the wider Atlantic world.