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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 12 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.

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.
  • The Erie Canal, 1825
  • The Oklahoma land run, 1889
  • The Mormon trek, 1847
  • The Homestead Act, 1862
  • A.Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory
  • B.Offered 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years
  • C.Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes
  • D.Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • The Oregon Trail, 1840s
  • Manifest Destiny, 1845
  • The transcontinental railroad, 1869
  • The Exodusters, 1879
  • A.Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land
  • B.The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent
  • C.Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months
  • D.Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why People Moved West

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The Erie Canal, 1825 — C (Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes) 2. The Oklahoma land run, 1889 — A (Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory) 3. The Mormon trek, 1847 — D (Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely) 4. The Homestead Act, 1862 — B (Offered 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years)
  2. 2.1. The Oregon Trail, 1840s — D (Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest) 2. Manifest Destiny, 1845 — B (The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent) 3. The transcontinental railroad, 1869 — C (Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months) 4. The Exodusters, 1879 — A (Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land)

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.7.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.