1. Wall Street was once an actual wall. The name comes from a defensive wooden barrier erected by Dutch settlers in the 17th century to keep out invaders and livestock. The street inherited the name long after the wall vanished.
2. The New York Stock Exchange traces its origins to the Buttonwood Agreement of 1792. Twenty-four brokers agreed basic rules for trading and a fixed commission, laying the foundations for what became the NYSE.
3. Ticker-tape parades began because of the stock ticker. Office workers tossed the long strips of printed ticker tape from windows in 1886 to celebrate the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, starting a uniquely New York tradition.
4. For a long time the market ran on fixed commissions. A uniform commission structure endured until regulations changed in the 1970s, after which competition and electronic trading reshaped how brokers earn fees.
5. Wall Street is a symbol as well as a place. Although many financial firms moved operations off Manhattan, the phrase ‘Wall Street’ still stands for global finance and market power, from historic bank buildings to modern electronic exchanges. The area’s physical changes have not diminished its cultural weight.
6. Each of these facts highlights how a handful of decisions and inventions helped create a financial system that still surprises visitors and residents alike.
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