Final answer:
Skilled workers were the most negatively affected by the rise of machines, as it diminished the demand for their crafts and subjected them to poor working conditions and lower wages. Option A is correct .
Step-by-step explanation:
The group of workers that was most negatively affected by the increasing use of machines was skilled workers. During the Industrial Revolution, the production of goods shifted from the handiwork of highly skilled middle-class artisans to mechanized production performed by low-paid unskilled laborers. Skilled workers saw the demand for their crafts diminish as factory owners pursued profit through simplifying manufacturing processes to be executed by cheaper, unskilled labor. Consequently, many skilled workers experienced subjugation to harsh work discipline, degradation of craft skills, long hours, cheap wages, and the destabilization of their livelihoods as their roles became less essential, or completely obsolete, due to mechanization.