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Wall Street

society Maturity 11-13

Wall Street is a famous street.

Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
It is in New York City. Long ago, it had a real wall. Now, it is a place for money. It helps the whole world.
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg
Do you like big cities?

41 words

Wall Street is a famous street.

Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
It is in New York City.

Long ago, the street had a real wall. The wall was made of wood and dirt.

Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
People built it to keep the city safe.

Later, the wall was taken down. The street became a place for big business. Many people came there to trade money.

Traders even met under a tree! They used the tree to make deals. This helped start a big stock market.

Today, many tall buildings stand there.

NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg
It is a very busy place for the world.

109 words

Wall Street is a famous street in New York City.

Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
It is a very busy place for money and business.

Long ago, the street had a real wall.

Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
The Dutch people built it in 1653. They used wood and dirt to make it. This wall helped keep the city safe. By 1699, the city grew too large for the wall. People took it down.

In the 1700s, the area changed. It was home to a slave market. This was a very sad and unfair time for many people.

New York slave market about 1730.jpg
New York slave market about 1730.jpg
Later, the street became a place for leaders. George Washington took his oath as president at Federal Hall.
Federal Hall and George Washington statue in New York City.JPG
Federal Hall and George Washington statue in New York City.JPG

In the 1800s, Wall Street became the money center of America. Traders used to meet under a tree to make deals. This helped start the New York Stock Exchange.

USA-NYC-New York Stock Exchange.JPG
USA-NYC-New York Stock Exchange.JPG
Today, many tall buildings and big banks stand on the street. It helps the whole world move money.

189 words

Wall Street is a famous street in New York City.

Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
It is located in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The street is just under 2,000 feet long. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway and the East River. Today, many people use the name "Wall Street" to talk about the whole American financial industry.
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg
It is known as a major center for global finance and technology.

This area has changed many times over the years.

Stad Amsterdam in Nieuw Nederland (City Amsterdam in New Netherland) Castello Plan 1660.jpg
Stad Amsterdam in Nieuw Nederland (City Amsterdam in New Netherland) Castello Plan 1660.jpg
In the 1600s, the Dutch called the street Het Cingel, which means "the Belt." A real wall was built there in 1653 to protect the settlement. This wall was made of dirt and wooden planks. It was built by both white colonists and enslaved Africans.
Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
The wall was eventually removed in 1699 because the city had grown too large.

As the city grew, the street took on new roles.

New York slave market about 1730.jpg
New York slave market about 1730.jpg
From 1711 to 1762, there was an official slave market at the corner of Wall and Pearl Streets. This was a very sad and unfair time for many people. Later, the street became a place for important leaders. In 1789, George Washington took his oath as the first president at Federal Hall.
Federal Hall and George Washington statue in New York City.JPG
Federal Hall and George Washington statue in New York City.JPG
This building was located on Wall Street.

In the 1800s, Wall Street became the money capital of America.

wall street 1867.jpg
wall street 1867.jpg
Traders used to meet under a buttonwood tree to trade stocks. In 1792, they signed the Buttonwood Agreement to make trading more organized. This was the beginning of the New York Stock Exchange.
USA-NYC-New York Stock Exchange.JPG
USA-NYC-New York Stock Exchange.JPG
In 1884, a man named Charles Dow began tracking stock prices. He used a list of stocks to create a benchmark for the market. This later led to the creation of the Wall Street Journal.

Today, the street is filled with huge buildings and busy banks.

1 Wall Street.jpg
1 Wall Street.jpg
It is home to the New York Stock Exchange, which is the largest in the world. You can also find the Federal Reserve Bank of New York there. Many large insurance companies and banks have offices on or near the street. The activity on Wall Street affects the economy of the entire world. It remains a very important place for global business.

418 words

Wall Street is a famous street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.

Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
It spans eight city blocks between Broadway and the East River. The street is just under 2,000 feet long. Today, the name "Wall Street" is used as a metonym. This means the name represents the entire American financial services industry. It also represents New York-based financial interests. The area is considered a principal global center for finance and fintech.
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD.jpg

The street has a long history of physical changes. In the 17th century, the Dutch called it Het Cingel. This name means "the Belt." It was part of the settlement known as New Amsterdam. In 1653, Director General Peter Stuyvesant ordered a wall built. He wanted to protect the settlement from English troops in New England. The wall consisted of a ditch and a wooden palisade. It was made of dirt and wooden planks. Both enslaved Africans and white colonists provided the labor for this construction.

This defensive structure was expanded and reinforced over many years. The English improved the wall after they took control in 1664. The Dutch even retook the city briefly during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. By the late 1600s, the wall encircled most of the city. It included two large stone bastions named Hollandia and Zeelandia. These bastions were named after Dutch invasion ships. Eventually, the city grew too large for the fortifications. The wall was removed in 1699.

Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg

As the wall disappeared, the street took on new and difficult roles. From 1711 to 1762, a municipal slave market operated at Wall and Pearl Streets.

New York slave market about 1730.jpg
New York slave market about 1730.jpg
This market was a wooden structure with a roof. It could hold about 50 people at a time. The city government collected taxes on every person sold there. Later, the street became a center for American government. In 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first president. He took his oath at Federal Hall on the balcony.
Federal Hall and George Washington statue in New York City.JPG
Federal Hall and George Washington statue in New York City.JPG

The financial industry began to dominate the area in the 19th century. Originally, people lived and worked in the same buildings. However, businesses soon took over most of the space. The opening of the Erie Canal boosted New York's business. This made Wall Street the "money capital of America." In 1792, traders signed the Buttonwood Agreement. They met under a buttonwood tree to trade securities. This agreement created a more structured market with standard commissions. This event was the origin of the New York Stock Exchange.

USA-NYC-New York Stock Exchange.JPG
USA-NYC-New York Stock Exchange.JPG

In 1884, Charles Dow changed how people analyzed the market. He began tracking the prices of 11 different stocks. These included companies like General Electric and American Tobacco Company. He calculated an average by adding prices and dividing by the number of stocks. He used terms like "bull market" for rising prices. He used "bear market" for dropping prices. His work became a benchmark for the entire market. In 1889, his report became The Wall Street Journal. This became an influential international business newspaper.

wall street 1867.jpg
wall street 1867.jpg

Today, Wall Street is home to massive financial institutions. It contains the New York Stock Exchange, the largest exchange by market capitalization. It also houses the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Many commercial banks, insurance companies, and brokerage firms are located nearby. The street is well-connected by subway stations and ferry terminals. The economic activities happening on this street have impacts that extend worldwide. It remains a central pillar of the global financial system.

622 words
🖼️ Images & Media (19)
File:Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
Wall Street Sign (1-9).jpg
File:Stad Amsterdam in Nieuw Nederland (City Amsterdam in New Netherland) Castello Plan 1660.jpg
Stad Amsterdam in Nieuw Nederland (City...
File:Block-House and City Gate (foot of present Wall Street) 1674 New Amsterdam.jpg
Block-House and City Gate (foot of...
File:Wall Street IRT 008c.JPG
Wall Street IRT 008c.JPG
File:New York slave market about 1730.jpg
New York slave market about 1730.jpg
File:New York City Hall 1789b.jpg
New York City Hall 1789b.jpg
File:wall street 1867.jpg
wall street 1867.jpg
File:Brooklyn Museum - Wall Street Manhattan - George Bradford Brainerd.jpg
Brooklyn Museum - Wall Street Manhattan -...
File:Wallstreetbmb.jpg
Wallstreetbmb.jpg
File:Crowd outside nyse.jpg
Crowd outside nyse.jpg
File:1 Wall Street.jpg
1 Wall Street.jpg
File:Trinity Church NYC 004b.JPG
Trinity Church NYC 004b.JPG

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