You will find similar reasons for why Emacs chose many of its common keys if you examine the [Space Cadet keyboard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-cadet_key

You will find similar reasons for why Emacs chose many of its common keys if you examine the [Space Cadet keyboard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-cadet_keyboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-cadet_keyboard) for which it was designed. All those awkward Control reaches originally laid comfortably under the thumbs.