Read the passage from History of the United States, by Charles and Mary Beard.

As necessary to mechanical industry as steel and steam power was the great market, spread over a wide and diversified area and knit together by efficient means of transportation. This service was supplied to industry by the steamship, which began its career on the Hudson in 1807; by the canals, of which the Erie, opened in 1825, was the most noteworthy; and by the railways, which came into practical operation about 1830.

With sure instinct Eastern manufacturer reached out for the markets of the Northwest territory where free farmers were annually producing staggering crops of corn, wheat, bacon, and wool. The two great canal systems — the Erie, connecting New York City with the waterways of the Great Lakes and the Pennsylvania chain, which linked Philadelphia with the headwaters of the Ohio — gradually turned the tide of trade from New Orleans to the Eastern seaboard.

In a summary of this passage, which would support a central trend?
steel
industry’s need for a market
the Erie canal system
the railways

1 answer

The best choice for a summary that supports a central trend from the passage is industry’s need for a market. The passage emphasizes the importance of a broad and efficient market for the growth of mechanical industry, highlighting the role of transportation innovations like steamships, canals, and railways in connecting manufacturers with agricultural outputs from the Northwest territory. This indicates a strong link between industrial development and market accessibility.

Similar Questions
    1. answers icon 1 answer
  1. Excerpt from Schenker v. United StatesUse the passage to answer the question When Charles schenck decided to hand out fliers
    1. answers icon 1 answer
  2. Excerpt from Schenker v. United StatesUse the passage to answer the question When Charles schenck decided to hand out fliers
    1. answers icon 1 answer
  3. Read the selection and choose the best answer for each question.The History and Legends of Anne Bonney and Mary Read adapted
    1. answers icon 1 answer
more similar questions