Jacob Little

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (May 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Jacob Little (born Jacob Allison Dove) was the first Great Bear of Wall Street. Bears on Wall Street had operated more in the United States than in Europe. Although the New York Legislature passed a ban on short sales in 1812, the bear operator was a familiar figure in the 19th century. One who gained celebrity status was Jacob Little, a leading bear operator in the first half of the 19th century. His nicknames included the "Great Bear," the "Old Bear," and the "Napoleon of Wall Street". Little is also known as the inventor of the short sale in the United States and the inventor of the convertible bond.

The Civil War wiped out his fortune and he died penniless.

• Jacob Little, The Great Bear of Wall Street

Source: BIBLIOGRAPHY: Sunshine and Shadow In New York by Matthew Hale Smith; Hartford: J.B. Burr and Company-1869 [1]

• Scripophily.com