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The Spanish Missions is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why the Spanish built missions and what they caused, 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 22 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.

The Spanish Missions

D2.His.14.3-5

NameDate

Read each text, then answer the questions.

1.Read the text, then answer the questions.

The California Missions

An information text written for this worksheet. In 1769 Spain began building missions in Alta California, starting at San Diego. Father Junípero Serra led the first missions. By 1823 there were 21, spread along the coast from San Diego to Sonoma. Spain wanted to hold the coast against Russia and Britain, and to make Native people Catholic farmers and workers. Native people baptized at a mission were not allowed to leave it freely. Soldiers brought back those who ran away. They worked in the fields, in the workshops and with the herds of cattle and sheep. Crowded living and new diseases killed many thousands, and the Native population of the coast fell sharply.

  1. 1. Who led the first California missions?
  2. 2. Why did Spain want missions along the California coast?
  3. 3. How many California missions were there by 1823?
2.Read the text, then answer the questions.

After Mexico Became Independent

An information text written for this worksheet. Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, and the missions came under Mexico. In 1833 Mexico passed a law to close the California missions, and over the next few years their lands were taken from the priests. Most of the land was granted to Mexican settlers as huge cattle ranches called ranchos. The law said mission land should go to the Native people who had worked it, but very little did. Many Native people had to work on the ranchos for food and shelter instead of wages. Ranchos sold cattle hides and tallow, a fat used for candles and soap, to ships from the United States and Britain.

  1. 1. What would you need to look at to learn how much land Native people actually received?
  2. 2. Why did many Native people work on the ranchos?
  3. 3. Why did the missions come under Mexico?

LessonPrint · D2.His.14.3-5 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — The Spanish Missions

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Father Junípero Serra. 2. To hold the coast against Russia and Britain and to make Native people Catholic farmers and workers. 3. There were 21 missions.
  2. 2.1. Land records from the time, because the text only says very little land went to them. 2. Very little mission land went to them, so they had to work for food and shelter. 3. Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821.

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