Final answer:
Francis Lowell's textile factories were unique because they offered jobs to women along with housing and schooling, implemented a fully integrated manufacturing system, and set a precedent for the textile industry despite the challenging working conditions. The correct option is A.
Step-by-step explanation:
Francis Lowell's textile factories were different from others because they offered women jobs, as well as housing and schools.
Lowell's approach to employing women was groundbreaking for the time. By providing employment opportunities and accommodations, Lowell's textile mills attracted many workers, including young women from rural areas and Irish immigrants.
His system also included integrating all parts of cotton fabric production into a single facility, which was innovative compared to the smaller and more fragmented operations that existed before the establishment of the Boston Manufacturing Company.
The Waltham System, as it was known, became a defining feature of Lowell's mills and set a precedent for future manufacturing practices.
However, it is important to note that these workers, especially women, were often paid less than men and lived in controlled and uncomfortable conditions. Despite these drawbacks, the mills provided an opportunity for many to earn a wage in what was considered socially acceptable employment at the time. The correct option is A.