Final answer:
The correct answer to the question is a) Industrial Revolution. During this period, textile mills and other factories relied on water power sources, such as rivers, for energy before the steam engine became predominant.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the early phases of the Industrial Revolution, energy-intensive activities, such as textile mill operations, were located near water power sites. The correct answer to the student's question is a) Industrial Revolution.
In the early Industrial Revolution, factories, particularly textile mills, initially utilized water power as their main energy source. Factories grew along rivers and other natural water sources to harness this power efficiently. Textile was the leading industry during this era, and water-powered technology was crucial before the later widespread adoption of the steam engine, which eventually allowed factories to be positioned closer to urban areas and resources such as coal.
Northern industrialization notably expanded following the War of 1812. The Northeastern United States became the leading industrial area due to its abundance of water sources. These sources powered textile mills, which were among the first to introduce mechanized production, centralizing operations within the confines of the mill itself and leading to a shift from a primarily agrarian economy to an industrial one.