Stock Markets

A Brief History of the Stock Market and Stock Exchanges

The stock market history dates back hundreds of years to 13th-century Europe, but the U.S. stock market didn’t become an established part of economic life until much later, during the 18th century.

Today, the performance of various stock markets in the U.S. and around the world is used daily to gauge the health of different parts of the economy. But the history of the stock market is a long, winding road, with many twists and turns.

Key Points

• The stock market has a long history dating back to 13th-century Europe and became established in the U.S. during the 18th century.

• The stock market works by facilitating transactions between buyers and sellers of financial securities.

• Stock market indexes, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500, measure the performance of specific portions of the market.

• The U.S. stock market has experienced significant events throughout history, including crashes, such as the one in 1929, and recoveries.

• Stock markets exist worldwide, with major exchanges in cities like London, Tokyo, and Shanghai.

When Did the US Stock Market Start?

Although the first stock market began in Amsterdam in 1611, the U.S. didn’t get into the stock market game until the late 1700s. It was then that a small group of merchants made the Buttonwood Tree Agreement. This group of men met daily to buy and sell stocks and bonds, which became the origin of what we know today as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Although the Buttonwood traders are considered the inventors of the largest stock exchange in America, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange was America’s first stock exchange. Founded in 1790, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange had a profound impact on the city’s place in the global economy, including helping spur the development of the U.S.’s financial sectors and its expansion west.

In 1971, trading began on another stock exchange in America, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations or otherwise known as the NASDAQ. In 1992, it joined forces with the International Stock Exchange based in London. This linkage became the first intercontinental securities market.

Unlike the NYSE, a physical stock exchange, the NASDAQ allowed investors to buy and sell stocks on a network of computers, as opposed to in-person trading. In addition to the NYSE and the NASDAQ, investors were able to buy and sell stocks on the American Stock Exchange or other regional exchanges such as the ones in Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

These days, almost anyone can open an investment account on their computer or smartphone — a far cry from the days of in-person trading in specific exchanges.

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