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Interesting US History
A Website Devoted to Interesting Events in U.S. History

 

 
 

 

ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

September 24, 1789

Gold Prices Plummet in What is Known as Black Friday

On this day in 1869, a financial panic caused gold prices to plummet when the United States government, under Ulysses S. Grant began selling off its gold.

This action by the government was in response to two speculators by the names of James Fisk and Jay Gould trying to corner the gold market. At first, the prices rose but when the government began dumping its gold on the market, the price plummeted within minutes. Many investors were ruined