Final answer:
The possibility to construct skyscrapers in the 1800s was enabled by innovations like new steelmaking methods and the invention of the electric elevator by Elisha Otis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The construction of skyscrapers in the 1800s was made possible by several factors, among which the most significant were the new methods of making steel and the invention of the elevator. Steel girders allowed buildings to surpass the previous height limits of brick structures, supporting the construction of much taller buildings. The electric elevator, invented by Elisha Otis in 1889, further facilitated the viability of skyscrapers by enabling people to easily move between floors in tall buildings. These innovations, along with the demand for space in urban centers and the prestige associated with towering buildings, propelled the skyscraper era, starting with the Home Insurance Building in Chicago in 1885.