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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 24 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.The king of France
  • B.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  • C.The Haudenosaunee Grand Council
2.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
3.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
  • A.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  • B.They wanted to reach the South Pole
  • C.They wanted a road to Mexico
4.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
  • A.Only gifts and help
  • B.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  • C.Nothing changed for Native nations
5.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To spread Christianity
  • B.To learn to ride bison
  • C.To build railroads
6.Why did Europeans want a sea route to Asia?
  • A.To escape the Atlantic Ocean
  • B.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  • C.To find new places to ski
7.Why did kings and queens pay for voyages?
  • A.To give their land away
  • B.To claim land and riches for their countries
  • C.To keep their sailors at home
8.Which was a positive incentive for Spanish explorers?
  • A.The danger of disease
  • B.The chance to find gold and silver
  • C.The chance of shipwreck

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 24 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 24. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  2. 2.He found no cities of gold
  3. 3.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  4. 4.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  5. 5.To spread Christianity
  6. 6.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  7. 7.To claim land and riches for their countries
  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.