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Wall Street

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Wall Street is a famous street in New York City.

Wall Street Sign (1-9)
Wall Street Sign (1-9)

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
NYC Downtown Manhattan Skyline seen from Paulus Hook 2019-12-20 IMG 7347 FRD

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
Stad Amsterdam in Nieuw Nederland (City Amsterdam in New Netherland) Castello Plan 1660

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

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
New York slave market about 1730

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
Federal Hall and George Washington statue in New York City

This building was located on Wall Street.

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

wall street 1867
wall street 1867

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
USA-NYC-New York Stock Exchange

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
1 Wall Street

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.

Pier 11 at Wall Street ferry
Pier 11 at Wall Street ferry

It remains a very important place for global business.

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🖼️ 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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