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 25 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 Oregon Trail, 1840s
The Mormon trek, 1847
The transcontinental railroad, 1869
Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848
A.Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest
B.Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California
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
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
The Comstock Lode, 1859
The Exodusters, 1879
The Oklahoma land run, 1889
Cattle drives after the Civil War
A.A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada
B.Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory
C.Cowboys drove herds north to railroad towns in Kansas
D.Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Why People Moved West
Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. The Oregon Trail, 1840s — A (Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest) 2. The Mormon trek, 1847 — C (Brigham Young led Latter-day Saints to Utah to worship freely) 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 — B (Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California)
2.1. The Comstock Lode, 1859 — A (A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada) 2. The Exodusters, 1879 — D (Black families left the South for Kansas to escape violence and own land) 3. The Oklahoma land run, 1889 — B (Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory) 4. Cattle drives after the Civil War — C (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.