In 1860, steel output stood at 13,000 tons. Ten years later, the production was 77,000 tons. A decade later, it was 1,397,000 tons. By the beginning of the 20th century the output was 11,227,000 tons. There were factors that explain this growth. One key factor for this growth was the development of the Bessemer converter by Henry Bessemer which made steel cheaper to make. Another factor was the huge size of the American market.
