▁development — es pecially ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution . ▁With ▁the ▁growing ▁profit ability ▁of ▁industry , ▁far mers ▁wanted ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁towns ▁to ▁receive ▁higher ▁w ages ▁than ▁those ▁they ▁could ▁ear n ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁fields , ▁while ▁land own ers ▁also ▁inv ested ▁in ▁the ▁more ▁prof itable ▁industry . ▁This ▁also ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁growing ▁process ▁of ▁urban ization . ▁ ▁Ser f dom ▁reached ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁centuries ▁later ▁than ▁Western ▁Europe — it ▁became ▁dominant ▁around ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁Before ▁that ▁time , ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁had ▁been ▁much ▁more ▁sp ars ely ▁populated ▁than ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁and ▁the ▁l ords ▁of ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁created ▁a ▁pe asant ry - friend ly ▁environment ▁to ▁encou rage ▁migration ▁east . ▁ ▁Ser f dom ▁developed ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁after ▁the ▁Black ▁Death ▁ep ide m ics ▁of ▁the ▁mid - 1 4 th ▁century , ▁which ▁stopped ▁the ▁east ward ▁migration . ▁ ▁The ▁resulting ▁high ▁land - to - lab our ▁ratio ▁- ▁combined ▁with ▁Eastern ▁Europe ' s ▁vast , ▁sp ars ely ▁populated ▁areas ▁- ▁gave ▁the ▁l ords ▁an ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁bind ▁the ▁remaining ▁pe asant ry ▁to ▁their ▁land . ▁With ▁increased ▁demand ▁for ▁agricult ural ▁produce ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe ▁during ▁the ▁later ▁era ▁when ▁Western ▁Europe ▁limited ▁and ▁eventually ▁abol ished ▁ser f dom , ▁ser f dom ▁remained ▁in ▁force ▁throughout ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁so ▁that ▁nob ility -