Why People Moved West is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the reasons people moved west, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.7.3-5. 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 11 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
Why People Moved West
D2.Geo.7.3-5
NameDate
Draw a line from each event to how it drew people west.
1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
Cattle drives after the Civil War
The Comstock Lode, 1859
The Erie Canal, 1825
The Exodusters, 1879
A.Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas
B.Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land
C.A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada
D.Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848
The Oregon Trail, 1840s
Manifest Destiny, 1845
The Mormon trek, 1847
A.Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest
B.The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent
C.Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely
D.Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 11 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Why People Moved West
Set 11. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. Cattle drives after the Civil War — A (Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas) 2. The Comstock Lode, 1859 — C (A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada) 3. The Erie Canal, 1825 — D (Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes) 4. The Exodusters, 1879 — B (Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land)
2.1. Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848 — D (Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California) 2. The Oregon Trail, 1840s — A (Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest) 3. Manifest Destiny, 1845 — B (The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent) 4. The Mormon trek, 1847 — C (Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely)
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.7.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.