The Massachusetts Bay Colony was one of the earliest settlements in New England, founded by a group of Puritans who wanted to reform the Church of England. Between 1620 and 1640, more than 20,000 people migrated to Massachusetts, mostly from eastern and midland counties of England. This period is known as the Great Puritan Migration.

One of the most significant events in the history of the colony was the arrival of the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, which brought about 800 settlers led by John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts. The Winthrop Fleet consisted of 11 ships: The Arbella, The Ambrose, The Charles, The Mayflower, The Jewel, The Hopewell, The Success, The Trial, The Whale, The Talbot and The William & Francis  . These ships were among the first to land in Massachusetts Bay, where they established towns such as Boston, Salem, Charlestown and Dorchester.

However, the Winthrop Fleet was not the only group of ships that brought immigrants to Massachusetts before 1632. In fact, some of the earliest settlers arrived in Plymouth Colony in 1620 on board the Mayflower , which was a different ship from the one that sailed with the Winthrop Fleet. The Mayflower carried about 100 Pilgrims, who were more radical than the Puritans and wanted to separate from the Church of England completely. They founded Plymouth Plantation, which later merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Other ships that landed in Massachusetts before 1632 include: The Concord, which brought Bartholomew Gosnold and his crew to explore Cape Cod and Maine in 1602; The Speedwell and The Richard M., which sailed with Martin Pring and Henry Challons respectively to explore Penobscot Bay and Virginia in 1603 and 1606; The Mary & John, which brought Raleigh Gilbert and his colonists to Virginia in 1607; The Sea Venture, which was wrecked in Bermuda in 1609 and led to the building of two new ships, The Deliverance and The Patience, which reached Jamestown in 1610; The Blessing of Plymouth, which brought Thomas Dermer and Squanto to New England in 1619; and The Fortune, which brought about 35 passengers to Plymouth Colony in 1621.

Therefore, based on available sources, there were at least 23 ships that landed in Massachusetts or nearby regions before 1632: The Concord, The Speedwell, The Richard M., The Mary & John, The Susan Constant, The Godspeed, The Discovery, The Gift of God, The John & Francis (twice), The Sea Venture (and its successors), The Diamond, The Falcon, The Blessing (twice), The Unitie, The Lion, The Swallow, The Virginia of North Colony, The Catch, The Mayflower (twice), The Blessing of Plymouth and The Fortune.