Wall Street and the Stock Exchanges: Historical Resources
The selection of resources included in this guide are intended for those researching the history of Wall Street and includes resources for those interested in researching the history of the various American stock exchanges.
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Author:
Ellen Terrell, Business Reference Specialist, Science, Technology & Business Division
Created: September 2019
Updated: September 2023
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Introduction
While Wall Street started as a street in lower Manhattan in the 17th century, today the term has come to mean more. Now it refers to the businesses directly related to stock exchanges and the financial markets, and even more broadly, big business and investing in the United States.
In this guide you will find items that look at the history of Wall Street. Also, given the importance of the specific stock exchanges, we have also included some general titles as well as material that will look at several of the larger exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, and the NASDAQ. We have included older items which can provide a different perspective on Wall Street than we have now, by providing insight into how previous generations viewed Wall Street.
This new research guide was developed from and replaces three previously published web guides:
History of the NASDAQ and American Stock Exchanges
History of the New York Stock Exchange
History of Wall Street: Selected References
About the Business Section
Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.