Il nome della strada deriva dal fatto che essa formava il confine settentrionale dell'insediamento di New Amsterdam. Attorno al 1640 delle semplici recinzioni a paletti demarcavano le proprietà della colonia. Più tardi, per interesse della Compagnia Olandese delle Indie Occidentali, Peter Stuyvesant, in parte utilizzando schiavi africani, fece costruire agli olandesi una più robusta palizzata. Successivamente scoppiò una guerra con gli inglesi, e nel 1653 venne creato un vero e proprio muro di terra e legname alto 3,5 metri e fortificato con palizzate. Il muro, una volta creato, fu rinforzato nel tempo, e impiegato in molteplici occasioni come difesa dagli attacchi di varie tribù indiane, di coloni del New England e degli inglesi. Nel 1685 degli ispettori pianificarono l'estensione di Wall Street lungo le linee della palizzata. Nel 1699 gli inglesi smantellarono il muro.
Nel tardo XVIII secolo c'era un albero di platano americano in fondo a Wall Street, sotto il quale mercanti e speculatori si riunivano informalmente per commerciare. Nel 1792 i commercianti formalizzarono la propria associazione stilando il cosiddetto Buttonwood Agreement. Era l'origine del New York Stock Exchange.
In the first 30 years of the 20th century,
the southern part of Manhattan
became the most famous skyline in New York,
and therefore in the whole world.
The vital importance of this neighborhood
comes from the development of the many financial activities
that settled their offices there,
with the buildings along Wall Street
that increased as the city
assumed an increasingly central role
Although the term Wall Street
has become a synonym of influence and financial power over time,
the word technically
only indicates a road in the southern part of Manhattan.
The New York Stock Exchange
is an excellent example of architecture
that is inspired by classicism
and that well characterizes the style of Wall Street.
The building clearly imitates a classical temple.
The large columns that hold the decorated front
are a common feature in many Greek and Roman temples.
The New York Stock Exchange was founded in 1792
and has become the center of global finance.
The wealth and variety of natural resources
have made New York one of the richest states in America.
This, along with the exceptional transport services,
has produced a phenomenal growth
in the manufacturing and industrial field,
allowing the city to make huge strides
in industry and commerce.
A walk through the Fito Canyon
in the southern tip of Manhattan
is the best way to discover the true cradle of skyscrapers,
going to get to know the enormous economic,
technological and social forces
that have produced these true icons of the 20th century.
The Federal Hall is, in a certain sense,
the birthplace of the American government,
and today the building has been transformed into a museum and a monument
in honor of our first president
and the beginnings of the history of the United States of America.
The New York Stock Exchange and the entire financial district
have become an integral part of American identity.
The best and the worst of the American experiment are associated with them.
The Stock Exchange is, in fact, the symbol of American liberal capitalism,
but also the emblem of the supremacy of the free market.
