There were many reasons for the migration ... when Kansas was to determine if they were to be a free or slave state, many people (among them the New England Aid Society) went there so that they could vote against slavery; also in the late 1840's people knew that Iowa was getting ready to open up more land and many moved to Illinois and Iowa to be ready ... we found family moving along the east side of the Des Moines river ready for the opening of the land on the west side ... they appear on the west side by 1850 I would think by 1850 the land in many of the New England states had been gobbled up and there was not enough land to pass on to each child in a family ... one of our particular families was in Pownal and that was the case. Two of the children moved to Kansas as soon as they were old enough to go on their own. Of course, the pioneer spirit of the New Englanders probably was passed on to the descendants and they were just ready to move on. A good question! I hope this might help! Have you looked at county histories where your ancestors settled to determine who else might have come from the same area in New England? Good luck in your search Gayle in Kansas BENNINGTON COUNTY: Gardner, Carpenter, Niles, Noble, Wright, Brookins, Jewett, Slafter, Boltwood, Pitcher