| Wall Street is one of the most famous streets in the | | | | This early literal wall association to the street was |
| world and is also one of the nation's, and perhaps the | | | | further supported on behalf of the Dutch West India |
| world's, most symbolic. It represents not only the | | | | Company. A much stronger stockade was established |
| New York Stock market and financial district that is | | | | and enforced. This established a 12 foot supported |
| literally associated with it, but also the overall national | | | | wall that was used as a defense against American |
| economic system and well-being of this country. And | | | | Indian attack, and the perceived threat of such. By |
| since the economic systems of countries across the | | | | 1865 surveyors came and laid out the lines of the |
| world are connected and interdependent, what | | | | formal Wall Street according to the original stockade. |
| happens on Wall Street affects the economic | | | | The official wall that was associated with it was |
| systems of the world. It's really amazing to consider | | | | dismantled in 1699. However, the name was now |
| the symbolic significance of this one little street in | | | | becoming a permanent association of the street and |
| Lower Manhattan that extends from Broadway to | | | | the following century would see the beginnings of the |
| South Street along the East River. | | | | financial aspect that is now its prominent association. |
| The name of this famous street was derived from | | | | By the late 18th century was a particular buttonwood |
| the 17th century when the street served as the | | | | tree located along the foot of Wall Street that |
| northern boundary to the New Amsterdam | | | | became a popular gathering place for various market |
| Settlement. The boundary aspect of it initiated its | | | | traders and speculators. By 1792 these speculators |
| status as a wall, and it began to be referred simply | | | | decided to formalize their purpose and an agreement |
| as wall street, a literal association. During the 1640s a | | | | was reached which was the Buttonwood Agreement. |
| series of plank and picket fences served to solidify | | | | This was the official development of what would |
| the imagery and name of Wall Street and it has | | | | become the financial district of New York and the |
| remained being called that since that time. It's | | | | stock exchange. This is an interesting part of New |
| interesting that such a simply literal orientation would | | | | York city and is a popular story for many tourists as |
| eventually develop into one of the most symbolic | | | | they tour the city in one of the bus or other guided |
| names in the world. | | | | tour programs. |