Technological innovation

Examine the table and answer the question below.

**Rail travel time, 1870-1900**
Railroad company	Route	Mileage	1870 Elapsed time (hrs)	1870 Speed (mph)	1900 Elapsed time (hrs)	1900 Speed (mph)
Wabash	Chicago to St. Louis	286	13:40	20.7	7:51	36.4
NY Central	New York to Chicago	961	38:30	25.0	16:00	38.4

-Source: Robert J. Gordon, economist, The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War, 2016.

Which of the following was a direct effect of the trend in railroad lines after 1870 shown in the table?

(Choice A)
cost of transport decreased because people could send goods farther
(Choice B)
regional cultures disappeared as the country became more connected
(Choice C)
production of goods decreased because trains traveled shorter distances
(Choice D)
new markets opened as perishable goods could travel greater distances faster

AP®︎/College US History