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Black Friday,

The designation of Friday, Sept. 24. 1869. Jay Gould and James Fisk, Jr., had attempted to gain control of the gold market of the country by purchasing the entire stock of $15,000,000 then held by the banks of New York City. The value of gold had been going up for several days, and the speculators attempted to raise it from 144 to 200. By Friday the whole metropolis was in a state of tumult, and gold had risen to 162 1/2. The wildest excitement prevailed, and it seemed as if hundreds of strong business houses would be forced to suspend. In the midst of this panic Secretary Boutwell, well, of the United States Treasury, placed $4,000.000 in gold on the New York market, and as soon as the fact was known the speculative price of gold fell and the excitement abated. It was said that this speculation yielded Gould and Fisk a profit of $11,000.000.

Harper and Brothers Publishers. . New York. 1902.

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Jay Gould (2)
James Fisk (2)
George Sewall Boutwell (1)
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September 24th, 1869 AD (1)
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