Final answer:
The statement regarding Seneca Oil being referred to as petroleum from the Titusville area is true. Titusville is recognized for the first successful oil well drilled in 1859, which was instrumental in powering the Industrial Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Seneca Oil was what people called petroleum from the Titusville area is true. The name 'Seneca Oil' comes from the fact that Native Americans, specifically the Seneca people, were known to have used the natural oil seeps in that region long before the commercial industry began.
Moreover, the first successful oil well in America, which effectively marked the beginning of the petroleum industry, was drilled by George Bissell and Edwin L. Drake in 1859 near Titusville, Pennsylvania. This discovery played a significant role in fueling the Industrial Revolution in the United States.
Around the same time, oil production was also underway in other parts of the world. For example, an engineer in Russia drilled for oil in 1848 near Baku, Azerbaijan.
However, it was the United States that first experienced a major boom in oil extraction with the Pennsylvania oil fields. By 1880, the Bradford Field in Pennsylvania was producing 77% of the world's oil supply. But by the end of the 19th century, Russia had recaptured the lead in oil production.
The statement is true. Seneca Oil was indeed what people called petroleum from the Titusville area. Oil was first successfully drilled commercially in Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859 by George Bissell and Edwin L. Drake. The United States had abundant natural resources, including petroleum, which played a significant role in fueling the Industrial Revolution.