Final answer:
The age of steel production and railway building primarily spanned from the mid-19th to early 20th century, with steel production growing from 13,000 tons in 1860 to over 24 million tons annually by 1910. Rapid railway expansion occurred concurrently, growing to over 200,000 miles by 1890 in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Age of Steel Production and Railway Building
The time period recognized as the age of steel production and railway building primarily spans the mid-19th to the early 20th century. During this era, significant technological advancements were made in the production of steel, largely due to processes such as the Bessemer and open-hearth methods. By the 1860s, steel production in the United States was 13,000 tons, which surged to over one million tons by 1879 and further to ten million tons by 1900, highlighting the rapid growth of the steel industry.
The expansion of railroads paralleled this growth in steel production. The construction of the first transcontinental railroad set the stage for a nationwide network of rails that revolutionized transportation and commerce. By 1890, the railroad infrastructure encompassed over 200,000 miles of track in the United States. This period saw a tripling in both freight and the number of passengers using the railroads from 1877 to 1890.
Overall, the availability of inexpensive steel was crucial to the growth of the railroad industry, which in turn spurred development in other sectors, making steel the backbone of the American economy and industrial growth until the end of World War II.