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Gold, Spices and Glory is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the incentives behind European exploration, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Eco.2.3-5. It prints 8 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 18 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.

Gold, Spices and Glory

D2.Eco.2.3-5

NameDate

Choose the best answer.

1.Columbus sailed west in 1492. Who paid for his voyage?
  • A.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  • B.The Haudenosaunee Grand Council
  • C.The king of France
2.Why were spices worth so much in Europe?
  • A.They flavored food and came from very far away
  • B.Spices were the only food in Europe
  • C.Spices grew everywhere in Europe
3.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
  • A.Only gifts and help
  • B.Nothing changed for Native nations
  • C.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
4.Coronado hoped for fame and wealth if he found the "Seven Cities of Gold." What happened?
  • A.He found seven golden cities
  • B.He found a sea route to Asia
  • C.He found no cities of gold
5.Why did the French come to North America in the 1600s?
  • A.To grow rice
  • B.To drill for oil
  • C.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
6.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To spread Christianity
  • B.To build railroads
  • C.To learn to ride bison
7.Why did Europeans want a sea route to Asia?
  • A.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  • B.To find new places to ski
  • C.To escape the Atlantic Ocean
8.Which was a positive incentive for Spanish explorers?
  • A.The danger of disease
  • B.The chance of shipwreck
  • C.The chance to find gold and silver

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 18 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 18. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  2. 2.They flavored food and came from very far away
  3. 3.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  4. 4.He found no cities of gold
  5. 5.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  6. 6.To spread Christianity
  7. 7.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  8. 8.The chance to find gold and silver

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Eco.2.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.