- Identify the relevant years: Column 3 corresponds to 1870, and Column 5 corresponds to 1890.
- Extract the data:
- Middle States: \(21,536 - 10,964 = 10,572\)
- Southern States: \(29,209 - 11,192 = 18,017\)
- Western States and Territories: \(62,394 - 24,587 = 37,807\)
- Compare the growth: The Western States and Territories show the highest growth of \(37,807\) miles.
- Final Answer: \(\boxed{\text{Western states and territories}}\)
Explanation
- Analyzing the Data and Identifying Relevant Years
To determine which region experienced the greatest increase in railroad mileage between 1870 and 1890, we first need to identify the data points for these years from the table. Based on historical data trends for railroad expansion, the five columns in the table represent the years 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1890, respectively. Therefore, column 3 contains data for 1870, and column 5 contains data for 1890. We examine the 'Middle States', 'Southern States', and 'Western States and Territories' regions.
- Extracting Mileage Data for Relevant Regions
We extract the mileage values for each of these three regions from column 3 (1870) and column 5 (1890):
- For the Middle States, the values are \(10,964\) (in 1870) and \(21,536\) (in 1890).
- For the Southern States, the values are \(11,192\) (in 1870) and \(29,209\) (in 1890).
- For the Western States and Territories, the values are \(24,587\) (in 1870) and \(62,394\) (in 1890).
- Calculating the Increase in Railroad Mileage
Now, we calculate the total increase for each region by subtracting the 1870 mileage from the 1890 mileage:
- Middle States: \(21,536 - 10,964 = 10,572\) miles.
- Southern States: \(29,209 - 11,192 = 18,017\) miles.
- Western States and Territories: \(62,394 - 24,587 = 37,807\) miles.
- Conclusion
Comparing the calculated increases, we observe that the Western States and Territories had the largest growth, with an increase of \(37,807\) miles. The Southern States followed with an increase of \(18,017\) miles, and the Middle States had the smallest increase among these three, at \(10,572\) miles. Therefore, the area that had the greatest increase in railroads is the Western states and territories. \(\boxed{\text{Western states and territories}}\).
Examples
The analysis of railroad growth is a classic application of data interpretation in history and economics. Just as we analyzed the expansion of infrastructure using historical tables, businesses today use similar methods to track their growth across different markets over time. By comparing datasets from different periods, organizations can identify which sectors are thriving or require investment, much like how the rapid expansion in the Western territories signaled significant economic and demographic shifts in 19th-century America. Understanding how to calculate changes over time is a foundational skill for any data-driven decision-making process.