Final answer:
The U.S. railroad network in the 1880s was extensive, with transcontinental rail lines and standard time zones supporting industrialization. It facilitated national commerce, led to new towns, and helped unify the country.
Step-by-step explanation:
By the 1880s, the U.S. railroad network was a critical infrastructure supporting the rapidly industrializing nation. The maps provided, along with the historical context, demonstrate that by this time, the United States benefited from a robust and extensive railroad system that connected various regions of the country, facilitating commerce and industry. The 1880s were characterized by the existence of transcontinental rail lines that linked the West Coast to the rest of the United States. These lines, through the Mountain West and Great Plains, were essential to the geographic readiness of the United States for the Industrial Revolution, providing the backbone for the movement of goods, resources, and people that would fuel economic growth.
The establishment of standard time zones, a result of the need to coordinate complex rail schedules across vast distances, further exemplifies the transformative role railroads played in unifying and modernizing the national landscape. The ease of travel and transport of freight made possible by the railroads also led to the emergence of new towns and the growth of a national market system, thus altering the geographic and economic fabric of the nation.