Thursday, November 26, 2015

How Black Friday Became A Thing: A Tale 140 Years In The Making

From a gold market crash in the 1860s to awful traffic in Pennsylvania 100 years later, the name of America’s annual shopping frenzy has a long history.

For more than a century, American retailers have ramped up marketing and discounts in the days after Thanksgiving, especially on Friday, which is now widely known as Black Friday.

For more than a century, American retailers have ramped up marketing and discounts in the days after Thanksgiving, especially on Friday, which is now widely known as Black Friday.

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

For years, "Black Friday" referred to the crash of the gold market on Sept. 24, 1869.

For years, "Black Friday" referred to the crash of the gold market on Sept. 24, 1869.

The term was used for other Wall Street crashes in subsequent years. This clip is from the New York Herald in November 1871, describing lawsuits against speculators Jay Gould and Jim Fisk.

The New York Herald/Newspapers.com / Via newspapers.com

Michal Cizek/AFP / Getty Images


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