In late summer 1635 a ship named James sailed into the area of Boston Harbor. The passengers had survived a grueling and unusually long voyage, one partly fueled by the religious persecution they were experiencing in England.

The ship James was built in the Netherlands and known as a fluyt. She was purchased by England, her primary purpose being that of a cargo vessel. Commanded by Captain John Taylor, she departed Bristol, England in late May of 1635, arriving safely to the eastern shores of North America in late August of that year with 100 passengers on board.

In this painting James is portrayed sailing through the harbor as she approaches her final destination, the shoreline of what was then the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. She tows a shallop, a type of boat built by the colonists at that time to transfer passengers and cargo.

The scene portrayed in this painting represents the emergence of early America. The families that struggled, survived, and began shaping the land would not live to see much of what would come from their their endeavors. This artwork was commissioned by Meredith Platt in recognition of these families that sailed in on the ship James in 1635, one of which were her ancestors.

Link to Book by Meredith Platt