Early Trading

• It was believed that the stock trading was invented by Italians. It was later proven that Muslim and Jewish merchants actually started it in Cairo in the 11th century.
  
  

France

• The first brokers were born in France in the 12th century. Middle-men was used to trade stock and debt between the agricultural community and banks.
  
  

Venetia

• In 1351, the first government trade securities began by Venetian bankers.
  
  

Amsterdam

• In the 17th century, the first continuous stock exchange began by the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Later, the Dutch started option trading, debt-equity swaps, and merchant banking.
  
  

Wall Street

• Wall Street started off as an actually wall to protect Manhattan against British attacks. Although trading had been primarily done in Boston for some time, the practice came to Wall Street in 1792.