On the New York Stock Exchange, what was signed in 1792 to establish rules for securities trading?

The Buttonwood Agreement was signed in 1792 to establish rules for securities trading among New York brokers.

Twenty-four brokers signed the agreement on May 17, 1792, under a buttonwood tree on what is now Wall Street. They agreed to trade securities with one another and to give preference to each other in negotiations, while charging a commission structure. The pact is widely treated as the founding moment of the organization that became the New York Stock Exchange.

The agreement did not create a modern exchange building or an electronic market. It was a short document that formalized cooperation among brokers at a time when securities trading in New York was becoming more organized.

The NYSE later developed through successor organizations, changing locations and expanding its listed companies. The Buttonwood Agreement is therefore a historical foundation, not the name of the current exchange’s rulebook or trading platform.