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• Wall Street is a term commonly used to encompass the financial industry of the United States, specifically the New York Stock Exchange, as well as the name of a street in New York City. Today, it serves as home base for various stock exchanges and investment, security and brokerage firms. Wall Street is also a collective label for the financial district of New York City. CISCO: Glossary of Financial Terms (2008)

  The historical significance of Wall Street is just as interesting as its name origin. Dutch colonists settling in lower Manhattan decided to construct a wooden barrier in 1653 to protect themselves from enemies, namely the British and Indians. PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004) Later, the British defeated the colonists despite the wall and in a symbol of their victory, tore down the barrier and created a street. In the early 18th century, they deemed it Wall Street and the name has not been changed. PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004) As population and trade interests grew, the area eventually became a popular site for traders and a central location for market transactions.

• Fast Facts

  1. Term dedicated to encompass centralized United States financial activity
  2. Located in lower Manhattan in New York City, NY
  3. Actual Wall Street stretches from Broadway to South Street
  4. Location of the formal establishment of the New York Stock Exchange PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)
  5. Also the location of the 1929 stock market crash

• Wall Street Expansion

  • 1829: Reaches trading rate of 5,000 shares a day PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)
  • 1844: Telegraph is utilized to transmit market quotes PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)
  • 1878: Installation of telephone on NYSE trading floor PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)
  • 1886: Trading reaches one million in share PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)
  • 1943: Women are allowed onto NYSE trading floor PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)
  • 1962: 17 million Americans own stock PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)
  • 1999: Dow Jones industrial average passes 10,000 points PBS: Selected Wall Street Chronology (October 21, 2004)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  New York Stock Exchange | Stock Market | NASDAQ | The Great Depression | Retail Sales Forecast | How to Read the Stock Market | How to Buy Stocks | Meaghan Cheung

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