How the Nation Gained Its Land is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how each territory became part of the United States, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.5.3-5. It prints 6 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.

One paper per student

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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

How the Nation Gained Its Land

D2.Geo.5.3-5

NameDate

Match each territory to how it was gained, then answer the questions.

1.Draw a line from each territory to how it was gained.

Alaska, 1867
Land to the Mississippi River, 1783
Florida, 1819
The Gadsden Purchase, 1853

A.Bought from Russia
B.Recognized by Britain in the treaty that ended the Revolution
C.Given up by Spain in the Adams-Onis Treaty
D.Bought from Mexico to make room for a southern railroad

2.People of what nation lived in California, New Mexico and Arizona before 1848?

A.Britain and France
B.Mexico, along with many Native nations
C.Russia only

3.Why did many Americans in 1846 oppose the war with Mexico?

A.They thought it was unjust or would spread slavery
B.They had never heard of Texas
C.They wanted Mexico to take more land

4.Why did the United States want the Gadsden Purchase?

A.For a port on the Atlantic
B.To build a new capital city
C.For a flat route for a southern railroad

5.The Louisiana Purchase roughly doubled the size of the country. Who was president?

A.George Washington
B.Abraham Lincoln
C.Thomas Jefferson

6.What did many Americans in the 1840s mean by Manifest Destiny?

A.A law that banned moving west
B.The belief that the nation was meant to spread to the Pacific
C.A plan to give land back to Native nations

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.5.3-5 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — How the Nation Gained Its Land

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. Alaska, 1867 — A (Bought from Russia) 2. Land to the Mississippi River, 1783 — B (Recognized by Britain in the treaty that ended the Revolution) 3. Florida, 1819 — C (Given up by Spain in the Adams-Onis Treaty) 4. The Gadsden Purchase, 1853 — D (Bought from Mexico to make room for a southern railroad)
2.Mexico, along with many Native nations
3.They thought it was unjust or would spread slavery
4.For a flat route for a southern railroad
5.Thomas Jefferson
6.The belief that the nation was meant to spread to the Pacific

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.5.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.