To determine the growth of the US population between 1870 and 1900, let's consider the historical context and the population scale of that period.
1. 3,600: This number is simply too small. Between 1870 and 1900, the population growth due to natural increase and immigration would have resulted in a much larger number.
2. 36 Million: This option is plausible. The US experienced a significant increase in population due to both natural growth (births minus deaths) and a substantial influx of immigrants during this period. Given the population size and the trends of that time, a growth of 36 million is realistic.
3. 360 Million: This number is excessively large. The total population of the US did not reach 360 million until many decades later, well into the 21st century. This is an unrealistic figure for this time period.
4. 3.6 Billion: This figure is astronomically large and unrealistic. Even in the present day, the total population of the entire world is just over 7 billion. No single country, including the US, had a population growth of billions during that period.
Given the context and the population scales, the most accurate and reasonable figure for the population growth of the US between 1870 and 1900 is 36 million.
