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 23 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 Comstock Lode, 1859
The transcontinental railroad, 1869
The Oklahoma land run, 1889
Cattle drives after the Civil War
A.Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months
B.Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory
C.A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada
D.Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
The Oregon Trail, 1840s
The Exodusters, 1879
Manifest Destiny, 1845
Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848
A.Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California
B.Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest
C.Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land
D.The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Why People Moved West
Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. The Comstock Lode, 1859 — C (A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada) 2. The transcontinental railroad, 1869 — A (Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months) 3. The Oklahoma land run, 1889 — B (Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory) 4. Cattle drives after the Civil War — D (Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas)
2.1. The Oregon Trail, 1840s — B (Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest) 2. The Exodusters, 1879 — C (Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land) 3. Manifest Destiny, 1845 — D (The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent) 4. Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848 — A (Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California)
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.7.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.