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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 9 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 Oregon Trail, 1840s
  • The Erie Canal, 1825
  • The Oklahoma land run, 1889
  • Manifest Destiny, 1845
  • A.Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory
  • B.The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent
  • C.Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes
  • D.Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848
  • The transcontinental railroad, 1869
  • The Comstock Lode, 1859
  • The Homestead Act, 1862
  • A.Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months
  • B.A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada
  • C.Offered 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years
  • D.Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 9 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why People Moved West

Set 9. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The Oregon Trail, 1840s — D (Led families about 2,000 miles to farmland in the Pacific Northwest) 2. The Erie Canal, 1825 — C (Opened a water route from New York City to the Great Lakes) 3. The Oklahoma land run, 1889 — A (Settlers raced to claim land in Indian Territory) 4. Manifest Destiny, 1845 — B (The belief that the nation was meant to stretch across the continent)
  2. 2.1. Gold at Sutter's Mill, 1848 — D (Drew hundreds of thousands of gold seekers to California) 2. The transcontinental railroad, 1869 — A (Made a trip across the country take about a week instead of months) 3. The Comstock Lode, 1859 — B (A huge find of silver that brought miners to Nevada) 4. The Homestead Act, 1862 — C (Offered 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years)

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