[fragmede]

Decades ago? The country was started by people who left the old country, sometimes bring wives and children with them, sometimes later, sometimes never. The Oregon trail featured entire families that moved. Moving is an integral part of America's history.

[shiroiushi]

I don't think that contradicts my prior claim. Yeah, people really moved at great expense and risk in the Oregon Trail days, and sometimes died of cholera (at least that always happened to me when I played the game on the Apple ][).

But I was really focusing on more recent times than that: it was still true within many peoples' lifetimes, though it wasn't nearly as risky as the covered wagon days.