Final answer:
The best descriptor for the historical excerpt provided is c) The Industrial Revolution. This event notably widened the socio-economic divide between industrialized Western Europe and America and the rest of the world, enhancing their global influence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase that best describes the historical context of the given excerpt is c) The Industrial Revolution. This event created a significant divide between Western Europe/America and the rest of the world, as it led to unprecedented economic, social, and technological advancements in the regions that industrialized first. These advancements, in turn, positioned these areas, especially Britain and later the United States, as dominant global powers with considerable influence over international trade and politics.
Regarding the other mentioned documents and events, such as The Declaration of Independence, The Olive Branch Petition, and The Prohibitory Act, these pertain to the American Revolution. As for the Civil Rights Movement, it was a crucial period in US history advocating for equal rights, but does not match the description of the excerpt focused on the global divide caused by the Industrial Revolution.
Moreover, events like the Reformation, the French Revolution, World War I, and grassroots activism from the Civil Rights Movement all had profound effects on history but are not the correct answers to the question at hand.
Lastly, the Market Revolution, which is true to have brought about social and economic changes in the United States, was a reflection of the broad impacts that such wide-scale industrial and technological advancements had on individual countries.