On April 30th 1856, word came to Mary Taylor and her family that in 21 days they would be sailing to America. It must have been so exciting and scary to have a sailing date for a trip they had dreamed about taking for years. A trip that would take many months to complete. A trip full of many dangers and hardship under the best of conditions.

This is the first of a series of posts about the milestones of Mary’s journey.