Final answer:
New York City had the largest population growth from 1850 to 1990, with a rise from 1,174,800 to 3,437,000 by 1900, reflecting the broader trend of urbanization and industrialization of the U.S. during that period.
Step-by-step explanation:
The city that experienced the largest amount of population growth between 1850 and 1990 is New York City. According to historical data, the population of New York City increased significantly from 1,174,800 in 1860 to 3,437,000 by the year 1900, which indicates a more than one-hundred-and-eighty percent increase over just four decades. When compared with other major cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, New York's population growth was not only the largest in quantity but also had a monumental impact on its urban development and the opportunities and challenges that arose as a result of this demographic change.
Urbanization played a crucial role during this era, as millions of people from rural areas and immigrants, particularly from southern and eastern Europe, moved to urban areas. This period of massive urban population growth marked a transition from an agrarian society to an industrialized one, with transformative effects on the landscape, economy, and social fabric of American cities.