Throughout the history of this great nation of ours there have been various events that have spurred Americans into continental migration. Be it the Gold Rush to California or the land rush ignited by the Homestead Act, people have ventured out motivated by promises of adventure, opportunity and upward mobility. In many ways this insatiable desire to seek after greener pastures is what expresses the heart and soul of the American Dream. In fact, one wouldn’t be off base to suggest that the U.S. has always been a nation of people on the move.

Currently, America is witnessing another migration of sorts. Similar to those past migrations, this one is also driven by a desire to finder greater opportunity and upward mobility. While the destination locations are varied, there is one over-riding connecting theme — taxes.

A recently released report from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) noted states with the best fiscal policies, including low taxes, are receiving an influx of residents, while those states with more leftist fiscal policies and higher taxes are losing residents. Over the last decade, Illinois and New York have a combined net loss of more than two million residents, whereas states like North Dakota and Texas have seen tremendous growth. Texas alone has seen its population increase by 1.3 million over the last 10 years.

Maybe this great American migration will go down in history as the great Red State Rush … or the Blue State Flight…