History of the New York Stock Exchange

Compiled by Ellen Terrell
Business Reference Services
May 2004
Updated May 2007

Introduction

The history of the New York Stock Exchange begins with the signing of the Buttonwood Agreement by twenty-four New York City stockbrokers and merchants on May 17, 1792, outside at 68 Wall Street under a Buttonwood tree. In the beginning there were five securities traded in New York City with the first listed company on the NYSE being the Bank of New York.

The 24 brokers who signed the agreement, thus becoming the first NYSE members were:

On April 4, 2007, the NYSE Group, Inc. combined with Euronext N.V. to create the holding company NYSE Euronext. NYSE Euronext (NYSE/New York and Euronext/Paris: NYX) describes itself as "the world ' s largest and most liquid exchange group ... [comprised of] six cash equities exchanges in five countries and six derivatives exchanges."
(Source: The NYSE Euronext Web Site: Home page, http://www.nyse.com/about/1088808971270.html

Additional Sources

Internet Resources

• NYSE Facts and Figures (formerly NYSE Factbook)
• NYSE - Timeline

Additional Reading

• Constitution and rules. New York Stock Exchange. Chicago, Ill. : Commerce Clearing House
  LC Classification: HG4571 .N56
  Catalog Record: 95647587
• Directory. New York. Stock Exchange. [New York, n. d.]
  LC Classification: HG4571 .N5
  Catalog Record: 18018647

  Covers years 1919, 1921, 1934, 1964-68, 1972-73, 1995-96 and includes individual member names (with admitted date and firm name/address) but firm names as well.

• Fact book. New York Stock Exchange. [New York, N.Y.] : The New York Stock Exchange. Annual. Ceased in 2001.
  Continued online as NYSE Facts and Figures
  LC Classification: HG4571 .N56
  Catalog Record: 85641633
• History of the New York stock exchange, the New York stock exchange directory, the produce, consolidated stock and petroleum, and cotton exchanges. And the New York and London clearing house systems. New York, The Financier company. [c1887]
  LC Classification: HG4572.H52
  Catalog Record: 16005774

  A general history with early officers and stock information for the active shares and members (with firm and admitted date), list of firms in 1885-1886. Also includes a history of Consolidated Stock and Petroleum Exchange of New York and some information from the New York Produce Exchange and the New York Clearing House Association.

• The New York Stock Exchange, a reprint from the 1886 edition published by the Historical Publishing Company, New York. Arno Press : New York, 1975. 224 p.
  LC Classification:: HC4572.N456 1975
  Catalog Record: 75002620
• The New York Stock Exchange: Another Century. James E. Buck ed. Lyme, CT: Greenwich Pub: 1999.
  LC Classification: HG4572.N453
  Catalog Record: 98049162
• Report of the president. New York Stock Exchange. [New York] : The Exchange. Continued by the New York Stock Exchange. Annual financial report.
  LC Classification: HG4571 .N45
  Catalog Record: 32005491
• Robert Sobel. N.Y.S.E. : a history of the New York Stock Exchange, 1935-1975 New York : Weybright and Talley, [1975]
  LC Classification: HG4572.S673
  Catalog Record: 75008876
• Stedman, Edmund C. The New York stock exchange; it’s history, it’s contribution to national prosperity, and it’s relation to American finance at the outset of the twentieth century. New York, Stock exchange historical company, 1905.
  LC Classification: HG4572 .S8
  Catalog Record: 05037562

  Includes an appendix with a history of officers, members, and statistics.

• Year book. [New York] Dept. of public relations [etc.] [n.d.]
  LC Classification: HG4571 .N55
  Catalog Record: 05037562

  Includes annual death (with length of service), membership transfer information and other information on happenings of that year.

Catalog Searches

Additional works on this topic in the Library of Congress may be identified by searching the Online Catalog under appropriate Library of Congress subject headings. Choose the topics you wish to search from the following list to link directly to the Catalog and automatically execute a search for the subject selected. Please be aware that during periods of heavy use you may encounter delays in accessing the catalog. For assistance in locating other subject headings which may relate to this subject, please consult a reference librarian.

• New York Stock Exchange
• New York Stock Exchange--History
• Wall Street (New York, N.Y.)--History