The Stock Market's Impact on Our Lives Essay

In the beginning, there was no real stock market. However stock exchanges did take place in smaller groups and corporations. This all took place during the 1700's where stocks were already around for a long time before that but it wasn't really popular in the United States. Stocks originally started as auctions where traders called out names of companies and the shares available. There was a auction that took place and the shares went to the highest bidders.

During the 1920s Wall Street was representing the decade of expanding economic opportunity for every American. During 1927 some American banks failed due to bad investments and low prices for agricultural products. On Thursday October 1929 American stock market failed and millions of investors are plunged into bankruptcy. Over 12,894,650 shares changed hands, many at fire. About two months after the crash in October, stockholders had lost more than $40 billion dollars. The slump was made worse by the share-buying fever that infected the country in the 1920s. Everyone wanted to make quick fortunes, therefore they bought company shares on margin. Competitive buying of the shares drove share prices high above their actual value. Then, when cautious

In 1873 railroads were being built, but they were not producing enough profit to keep the railroads industry sufficiently stable. When investors heard the news they rushed to sell their railroad stocks as soon as possible as the value went down. The New York Stock Exchange, now in a panic, closed on September 20th, 1873 to stop people from selling their stocks. When the New York Stock Exchange reopened ten days later, people were relieved and thought all danger had passed them by with no consequences.

Over the 1920's, many American's wealth increased substantially. This caused many to look to find a place to invest their new found earnings in something that felt safe from inflation. Many people felt that the stock market was a safe one way bet, causing customers to buy shares by taking out loans from banks, but in 1929 everything changed. After reaching its peak earlier that year, on October 29, 1929, what they call “Black Tuesday” hit Wall Street causing investors to trade over 16 million shares on just the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. Billions of dollars vanished, wiping out thousands of investors. Most people believe that the Stock Market crash can be blamed on over eagerness and false expectations. In the years leading up to 1929, the stock market held, what the consumers thought, to be the next gold rush. People bought shares with the expectations of making more money. As share prices rose, people started to borrow money to invest in the stock market. The aftermath of the crash put into motion, what is called the darkest time, economically, in American history the Great

Poverty took a turn for the worst on October 29, 1929. Investment companies and leading bankers became frantic and thought that if they brought an abundance of stock that the market would be stabilized. Instead the stock market ruptured and 16 million shares were traded on the New York stock exchange in a single day. Billions of money were lost, wiping out thousands of investors and stock tickers ran hours behind because the machinery could not handle the tremendous volume of trading. As prices continued to decrease the United States drifted into the Great Depression. Approximately half of Americas banks had failed and unemployment almost

On ‘Black’ Tuesday, October 29, 1929, a rapid fall of selling of shares in the stock exchange crushed the stock exchange. On occasion there were no offers to buy stock at all but just to sell it. And by the end of the trading session 16,410,000 shares of stock had been dumped, a number never been know before at that time. After a few weeks some $30 billion of wealth had evaporated in to air.

Early in September the stock market reached an unsurpassed high. Immediately following this "high", the market began to gradually slide. On the afternoon of October 24, 1929 the great American stock market took a bottomless plunge. Investors finally realized the "stock boom had been an over inflated bubble." Margin investors were being ruined because stock holders tried to pay back debts. By November of 1929, the Dow sank from 400 to 145. In three days, the New York Stock Exchange removed over 5 billion dollars worth of share values. By the end of the 1929 stock market crash, 16 billion dollars had been erased off stock capitalization.

The stock market crash of 1929 was a four-day collapse of stock prices and the worst decline in U.S. history. Though there have been more market crashes since, with bigger losses, none have rivaled the panic the country experienced during this time. It destroyed the public’s confidence in Wall Street and helped lead to the Great Depression.

Black Tuesday, a day when 16 million stock shares were traded leaving America in severe economic depression, the only solution was World War II. The twentieth century consisted of stocks that represented a capital and which a corporation claimed a state. The owners shared stocks. August 29 of 1929, the biggest stock trade of New York crashed. Even though the stock market was predicament and it lasted more than a decade, the United States slowly gained confidence in the system again.

In late October 1929 investors in New York City began to panic. Stocks that they had bought at high prices began to drop. More and more investors sold their stocks at whatever price they could get. Over two days, the value of companies being traded on the stock exchange fell almost 13 percent on Monday and another 12 percent the next day. That day became known as "Black Tuesday." Fortunes were wiped out. The stock market had crashed. All across the country, and all around the world, people paid attention to the news closely. Some investors killed themselves. Millions of people from all over the world who owned stocks waited helplessly as stock values crashed. After the crash, the amount of goods and

The stock market works by increasing the value of stocks based upon multiple factors. One of the factors is company performance. The better the company is doing the more stocks will increase and vice versa. Another factor is the demand. The more demand the bigger the price and also vice versa. So to maximize the amount of money you get from a stock you need many people buying that stock and having the company do well.

During the 19th century, most of the things traded in the Stock Exchange were government bonds. Few corporations were in existence during this time but they were primarily banks that people could buy and sell stocks. Over the centuries more companies joined the exchange with the railroad industry dominating the market through the 20th century. The invention of the telegraph allowed for easier trading and membership expansion. The current membership is limited to 1,300. The organization is a nonprofit organization that minimizes fraudulent offers and providing a safe investing environment. The market works by investors buying and selling shares of a company. The value of the shares depends on the value of the company and its

The Stock Market is an organized market for the trading of stocks and bonds. In Europe a stock exchange is often called a bourse. Stock exchanges exist in all-important financial centers of the world. Members of an exchange buy and sell for themselves or for others, charging commissions. A stock may be traded only if it is listed on an exchange after having met certain requirements. The New York Stock Exchange (founded 1790) is the largest in the U.S., handling more than 70% (in market value) of all transactions. The American Stock Exchange (Amex), also in New York City, and regional exchanges account for the remainder. Unlisted shares, often of smaller companies, are traded in the growing over-the-counter

     The New York Stock Exchange traces its origin back 200 years. Centuries of growth and innovation the NYSE remains the world’s foremost securities marketplace. Over the years its commitment to investors has been unwavering and its persistent application of the latest technology has allowed it to maintain a level of market quality and service that is unparalleled. The NYSE has grown to become the global marketplace of today.

It was 1929, and in the United States things could not be better for those smart enough, or for that matter, brave enough, to gamble on the Stock Market. All of the big stocks were paying off handsomely, the little ones too. However, as much as analysis tried to tell the people that this period of great wealth would last, no one could imagine what would come of the United States economy in the next decade. The reasons for this catastrophic event in American 20th century history are numerous, and in his book, The Great Crash, John Kenneth Galbraith covers the period and events which lead up to the downward spiral in the fall of 1929 and the people behind the scenes on Wall Street who helped this fire spread.