Final answer:
The early economy of the United States was based primarily on 1) agriculture, with most colonists living on farms and engaging in farming due to the availability of fertile land and the mercantilist system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The early economy of the United States was marked by colonists who operated a society based primarily on agriculture. During the colonial era and into the 19th century, when the majority of Americans lived on farms and worked in agriculture, most economic activity in the United States took place within this primary economic sector. Although trade, manufacturing, and slavery played roles in the colonial economy, the predominant form of economic activity was agriculture, given the availability of fertile land and the profitability of farming under the mercantilist system.
In this system, colonies were expected to provide raw materials to fuel the mother country's industrial growth, with many settlers choosing to farm both out of necessity and for profit. Over time, regional differences in the colonial economies emerged due to the varying availability of land and labor, leading to some local manufacturing that supported agricultural production. Despite the crucial role of slave labor in producing certain cash crops, the base of the economy during the early development of the United States remained largely agricultural.