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 21 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.
The Homestead Act, 1862
The Oklahoma land run, 1889
The transcontinental railroad, 1869
Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848
A.Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California
B.Offered 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years
C.Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory
D.Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
The Comstock Lode, 1859
The Mormon trek, 1847
Cattle drives after the Civil War
Manifest Destiny, 1845
A.Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas
B.A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada
C.The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent
D.Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Why People Moved West
Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. The Homestead Act, 1862 — B (Offered 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years) 2. The Oklahoma land run, 1889 — C (Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory) 3. The transcontinental railroad, 1869 — D (Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months) 4. Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848 — A (Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California)
2.1. The Comstock Lode, 1859 — B (A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada) 2. The Mormon trek, 1847 — D (Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely) 3. Cattle drives after the Civil War — A (Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas) 4. Manifest Destiny, 1845 — C (The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent)
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.7.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.