the new england emigrant aid company (est.1854), originally the massachusetts emigrant aid company, was a transportation company in boston, massachusetts. it was created to bring immigrants to the kansas territory. this was done to make sure kansas would become a free state. the company was created by eli thayer, a member of the massachusetts house of representatives, over a month before the kansas-nebraska act was passed in 1854. this act allowed the population of kansas territory to choose for themselves whether or not slavery would be legal. the concept was called popular sovereignty.