My family has been in Virginia since 1607 (On one line, it goes back to Robert Beheathland.) I didn't come here to brag though, this is a serious question. Why do people with Virginia ancestry have a lot of "gateway ancestors?"
Why do you think people with ancestry leading to Virginia have a lot of "gateway ancestors"? Could it be sampling bias, in that you've mainly known people from Virginia so you are unaware of similar situations in other areas?
Can you clarify what you mean by gateway ancestors?