Societal changes put the natural economy and the barter economy under pressure. At the same time, the traditional way of life, with emphasis on fishing combined with farming, was only changing very slowly. There were developments in the purchase, processing and sale of fish, and communications were improved by steamships and the telegraph.
In addition to mining at the Kåfjord Copper Works in Alta, which was established in 1826 and in its time was the biggest industrial establishment on the Cap of the North, Arctic Ocean fishing and hunting became a significant new industry in the early 1800s.
The early part of the 19th century was characterised by population growth, partly driven by immigration from Finland and from the valleys of southern Norway. The majority of immigrants came to work in the copper mines, but Finnmark also attracted farmers who settled and began cultivating new land. The authorities wished to colonise and Norwegianise Finnmark. This was related both to a general Norwegian nationalism and to the then fear of Russian expansion.
Emigration to America began later in Finnmark than in southern Norway, and was particularly heavy during the 1870s and 1880s. It was caused by population growth and pressure on resources, especially arable land. The 1870s also saw poor fish trading and a decline in mining activity.
The first few decades of the 20th century were marked by crises and political radicalisation. In Finnmark the majority of people still worked in fishing and farming. In small fishing villages with poor harbour infrastructure, Nordland boats and spissboats (literally “tip” or “pointed” boats) were still propelled by oars and sails. Fishing boats with decks and engines became the norm in the 1920s, which brought the need for more secure harbours.