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Stockade Erected in Manhatten
A 12-foot-high wood stockade was built across lower Manhattan from river to river to protect Dutch settlers from attacks by the British and Indians. -
Wall Street is laid out
Surveyors lay out Wall Street along the line of the stockade. -
US Investment Markets Born
The government refinances all federal and state Revolutionary War debt, issuing $80 million in bonds. These become the first major issues of publicly traded securities, marking the birth of the U.S. investment markets. -
Buttonwood Agreement
Twenty-four prominent brokers and merchants gather on Wall Street to sign the Buttonwood Agreement, agreeing to trade securities on a commission basis. -
Erie Canal Opens
The opening of the Erie Canal makes New York City the seaboard gateway for the Great Lakes region. -
Panic of 1857
The Ohio Life Insurance & Trust Company collapses. Prices drop eight to ten percent in the course of a single trading session. -
Outbreak of the Civil War
At the outbreak of the Civil War, the NYS&EB suspends trading in securities of seceding states. -
Property Rights
Membership in the NYSE becomes a "property right," enabling members to sell their seats -
Gold Speculation Tanks Market
On September 24, gold speculation resulted in "Black Friday." -
NYSE Closes for 10 Days
Jay Cooke & Company, a prestigious Philadelphia banking firm, fails on September 19 due to over speculation in railroad stocks. The NYSE closes for ten days as a severe financial panic grips the nation -
Kansas Adopts the "Blue Sky" Law to Register Companies and Brokers Selling Securities
"Kansas adopts the 'Blue Sky' Law, which requires companies issuing securities to file a description of their operations and receive a permit before selling stocks. It also imposes registration requirements on brokers who sell securities. Within two years, 22 other states pass similar laws. An effort to pass a similar law at the federal level fails." -
Stock Market Crashes and Great Depression Begins
"During the first half of 1929 an unprecedented boom took place on the New York Stock Exchange. However, prices began to fall from late September and selling began. In less than a month there was a 40% drop in stock value, and this fall continued over the next three years... -
US Congress Passes the Securities Act of 1933
The Securities Act of 1933 was "enacted as a result of the market crash of 1929. The legislation had two main goals: (1) to ensure more transparency in financial statements so investors can make informed decisions about investments, and (2) to establish laws against misrepresentation and fraudulent activities in the securities markets -
First US Senate Official Code of Conduct
"In 1968, the Senate adopted its first official code of conduct, with substantial revision and amendment of the code occurring in 1977.. -
STOCK Act Passes in House
"The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would prevent members of Congress from trading stocks based on nonpublic information they have obtained in the course of their congressional work. The bill, which was approved 417 to 2, is similar to a bill approved last week by the Senate, but does not include a provision regulating those in the financial information business
