Answer:
a. Industry used serfs to provide cheap labor in factories.
This statement best describes industrial development on the continent before 1850.
Step-by-step explanation:
As large factories were being built and run during the industrial revolution of this phase, this led to people getting lowly paid as they were in a need for employment and a disguised opportunity for the people to earn a living.
People had to stay in the nearby areas to suit their work environment on a daily basis and the conditions were such that they would get paid until they work and vice versa. This worsened the quality of living among the rural masses extensively.