TExES Social Studies Content Practice Exam 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The primary economic activity in the northern United States during the 1800s was commerce and manufacturing. This period marked the rise of the Industrial Revolution, which had a significant impact on the northern economy. Factories began to proliferate, particularly in areas around rivers and waterways where water power could be harnessed. This led to urbanization as people moved to cities for factory jobs, facilitating an economy rooted in industrial production rather than agriculture.

Additionally, northern states developed infrastructure such as railroads and canals, which supported both manufacturing growth and trade. The economy was characterized by a focus on producing goods, textiles, machinery, and other manufactured items, differentiating it from the agrarian South, which primarily relied on farming and agriculture.

While farming did occur in the North, it was not the dominant economic force as it was in the agrarian South. Similarly, while slavery existed in a limited capacity in some northern states, it was not a primary economic activity compared to the widespread use of the labor system in the South. Trade with Mexico was more relevant in the southwestern regions and did not define the northern economic landscape in the way that commerce and manufacturing did during this era.