Which industry did NOT begin in the antebellum period? A. petroleum B. telephone C. steel D. railroad

The telephone industry did not begin in the antebellum period. The antebellum period primarily focused on the gradual economic change as factories replaced farming in the North (which had poor soil). The railroad was introduced for new means of faster transportation of factory goods, thus oil and steel to create the rails followed suit. The telephone period of advancement came afterwards.