What was the primary purpose of the New England Emigrant Aid Company?

The New England Emigrant Aid Company was designed primarily to support the establishment of Kansas as a free state. Founded in 1854, its main objective was to encourage anti-slavery settlers from the Northern states to migrate to Kansas in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to determine their status regarding slavery based on popular sovereignty. By promoting settlement in this manner, the company hoped to create a significant population of free-state supporters in Kansas, thereby influencing the region's political alignment and ultimately combating the expansion of slavery into new territories. This movement was part of the broader struggle known as "Bleeding Kansas," which pitted pro-slavery factions against anti-slavery advocates, significantly contributing to the tensions leading up to the Civil War.