In the 18th century, people primarily relied on rivers for the following three purposes:
- Collecting drinking water - Rivers served as a source of fresh water for drinking and other domestic uses.
- Transporting people and goods - Rivers were essential for transportation, allowing people and goods to travel more easily.
- Powering meals - While not in the same sense as modern electricity, rivers were used to power water mills, which could grind grain and perform other functions necessary for food preparation.
Producing electricity and sending telegrams were not relevant uses of rivers in the 18th century, as electricity generation and telecommunication developed later.