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 19 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.
Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848
The Exodusters, 1879
The Erie Canal, 1825
Manifest Destiny, 1845
A.The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent
B.Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California
C.Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land
D.Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
The Mormon trek, 1847
The transcontinental railroad, 1869
The Oregon Trail, 1840s
Cattle drives after the Civil War
A.Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas
B.Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest
C.Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely
D.Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 19 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Why People Moved West
Set 19. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848 — B (Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California) 2. The Exodusters, 1879 — C (Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land) 3. The Erie Canal, 1825 — D (Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes) 4. Manifest Destiny, 1845 — A (The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent)
2.1. The Mormon trek, 1847 — C (Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely) 2. The transcontinental railroad, 1869 — D (Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months) 3. The Oregon Trail, 1840s — B (Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest) 4. Cattle drives after the Civil War — A (Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas)
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.7.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.