[1] Born in Africa c. 1620, Dorcas is believed to have arrived in Boston, Massachusetts from the Providence Island colony in 1638 aboard the slave ship Desire.
[1][2][3] Records show that in 1641, Dorcas was living in Dorchester, Massachusetts in servitude to Israel Stoughton, a prominent colonial leader and businessman.
[4][1] In the months following, the colony passed a law formally sanctioning the slavery of Africans and Native Americans in the Massachusetts Body of Liberties.
Dorcas' evangelical work with Native American servants and her admission into the congregation were detailed in the early colonial publication, New England's First Fruits.
[1][8] It is believed that Dorcas continued to live with his widow, Elizabeth Stoughton, as a member of her household for some time after Israel's death.