Five Largest Cities in the United States
1850
1870
Rank
Population
Rank
City
Population
1
1
2
2
City
New York City, NY
Baltimore, MD
Boston, MA
Philadelphia, PA
New Orleans, LA
3
515,547
169,054
136,181
121,376
116,375
3
New York City, NY 942,292
Philadelphia, PA 674,022
Brooklyn, NY
396,009
St. Louis, MO
310,864
Chicago, IL
298,977
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
4
4
5
5
Which conclusion is BEST supported by the data in these tables?
The largest populated cities in 1850 were in the north, but by 1870, the plantation system created heavily
populated cities in the south.
Between 1850 and 1870, many cities in the north lost population due to the destruction caused by the Civil
War.
The largest populated cities in 1850 were centers for cottage industries, but the largest populated cities in
1870 were centers for textile production.
D
Between 1850 and 1870, the population of the northern cities grew even larger due to industrialization.