Early Texas had an economy dominated by farming and ranching during the 1820s and 1830s. Large plantations specialized in growing cotton and other crops with slave labor. Ranching also grew as a key economic activity, with Tejanos and later settlers raising cattle on the prairies and in river valleys. Trade and business developed, with merchants and other businessmen operating under a largely free enterprise system with minimal government control. However, poor transportation infrastructure, especially roads, posed challenges for economic growth.