Question

Which of the following BEST describes the railroad industry by 1900?

• A. The focus was on creating competing lines rather than reaching new areas.
• B. More growth took place in the South than in the West or North.
• C. Railroads increasingly became organized and consolidated into fewer companies.
• D. Railroads were stringently regulated by state and federal laws.
• E. The growth of railroads was hampered by an inability to procure necessary coal which was alleviated by imperialist action in the 1890s

Answer 1

The correct option is A The focus was on creating competing lines rather than reaching new areas.

By 1900, the country's total rail mileage had increased to 193,346, from 163,597 in 1890. It would continue to grow for another decade before reaching its all-time high during the World War I era. That effort began in 1887 with the Interstate Commerce Commission's creation, tasked with regulating the railroads. The focus was on creating competing lines rather than reaching new areas.

The correct answer is A.