Salem is an historic seaside community located approximately 16 miles north of Boston. Salem was one of the most important cities in the colonies and the new nation, from its days as one of the earliest landing sites of the English colonists, to its rise as the first major port in the United States, to its trailblazing efforts in opening up the Caribbean and East Indies trade, to its heyday as a thriving hub of American commerce and the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne.  The city is rich with architectural treasures, fine museums, extensive archives, and a sparkling literary heritage.