POWER OF WALL STREET: THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE
The NYSE was originally founded on May 17, 1792 when 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement on Wall Street in New York City. As the story has been passed down, the founding members met beneath a Buttonwood tree with the purpose of forming a centralized exchange for trading securities. The agreement eliminated the need for auctioneers, who were used frequently for wheat, tobacco and other commodities, as well as setting a commission rate for trading securities. [...]