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Why People Formed Communities is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the reasons people founded early American communities, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.14.3-5. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 12 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Why People Formed Communities

D2.His.14.3-5

NameDate

Draw a line from each community to why it was founded.

1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • New Amsterdam, 1625
  • Santa Fe, 1610
  • Lowell, Massachusetts, 1820s
  • Georgia, 1733
  • A.Built around cloth mills powered by a river
  • B.Gave poor English families a fresh start and guarded the border with Spanish Florida
  • C.Dutch traders set up a post to buy furs
  • D.Became the capital and seat of government of Spain's colony of New Mexico
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • Pennsylvania, 1681
  • Mission San Diego, 1769
  • St. Louis, 1764
  • Plymouth, 1620
  • A.William Penn wanted a colony run by fair laws, open to all faiths
  • B.Spanish priests came to convert California's Native people, who were made to work
  • C.Pilgrims wanted to worship in their own way
  • D.Chosen near where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet, for river trade

LessonPrint · D2.His.14.3-5 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why People Formed Communities

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. New Amsterdam, 1625 — C (Dutch traders set up a post to buy furs) 2. Santa Fe, 1610 — D (Became the capital and seat of government of Spain's colony of New Mexico) 3. Lowell, Massachusetts, 1820s — A (Built around cloth mills powered by a river) 4. Georgia, 1733 — B (Gave poor English families a fresh start and guarded the border with Spanish Florida)
  2. 2.1. Pennsylvania, 1681 — A (William Penn wanted a colony run by fair laws, open to all faiths) 2. Mission San Diego, 1769 — B (Spanish priests came to convert California's Native people, who were made to work) 3. St. Louis, 1764 — D (Chosen near where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet, for river trade) 4. Plymouth, 1620 — C (Pilgrims wanted to worship in their own way)

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.14.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.