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For the 1987 movie see Wall Street (movie)
Wall Street is the name of narrow thoroughfare in lower Manhattan running east from Broadway downhill to the East River. Considered to be the historical heart of the Financial District, it was the first
permanent home of the New York Stock Exchange.
The phrase "Wall Street" is also used to refer to the financial
markets as a whole. Interestingly, most New York financial firms are
no longer headquartered on Wall Street, but in other parts of Manhattan. When
contrasted to "Main Street", it can refer to big business interests as
against those of small businesspeople.
History
The name of the street derives from the fact that during the 17th
century, it formed the northern boundary of the New Amsterdam
settlement where the Dutch had constructed a crude wall of timber and
earthwork in 1652. The wall was obstensibly meant as a defense against attack from Lenape Indians, New England colonists, and
the British, but it was never tested in battle. The wall was dismantled
by the British in 1699.
The Wall Street Journal, named in
reference to the actual street, is an influential international daily business newspaper published in New York City. For
many years, it had the widest circulation of any
newspaper in the United States, although it is currently second to
USA Today. It is owned by Dow Jones & Company.
See also
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