Bank of North America (Philadelphia, PA)

Episode Information

Episode UID
2906273790507
Episode Type
Suspension โ†’ Reopening
Bank Type
state
Bank ID
290627379 hash
Start Date
March 1, 1842*
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (39.952, -75.164)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini (chosen from majority vote of a three-model LLM ensemble)
Short Digest
2fdb73789e0f1ee2

Response Measures

None

Events (2)

1. March 1, 1842* Reopening
Newspaper Excerpt
The resuming banks are the Philadelphia, Commercial, North America, Farmers and Mechanics, Southwark, Northern liberties, Western, Kensington, Germantown, Southwark Bank.
Source
newspapers
2. March 1, 1842* Suspension
Cause
Local Banks
Cause Details
Failure of the Penn Township Bank and subsequent runs on several Philadelphia banks prompted multiple suspensions
Newspaper Excerpt
The suspended banks continue closed for the ordinary purposes of trade
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from Democratic Standard, March 29, 1842

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Article Text

# MONEY AFFAIRS IN PHILADELPHIA.- More bank failures.-Resumbtion.-Re- sumbtion has fairly commeced in Philadelphia. At a meeting of the Officers of the different Binks on Thursday evening a resolution was paased to commence in full yesterday some of them paid out specie on Thursday. The failure of the Bank of Penn Township caused a run on Thursday on several others, which ended in the stoppage of the Mechanics Bank, the Manufactures and Mechanics' Bank, and a considerable pressure on the Moyamensing Bouk. We copy the following account of the state of affairs from the money article of the Ledger: Yesterday was a day of great bustie and excitement with the people and two or three of our banks. The run on Wednesday against the Penn Township Bank, though it closed at the usual hour that day, with the ssurence of its officers that it would open and meet ail its demands the follo ving moroins trenched so deeply on its means that it filed to fulfil this promise, and, instead of meeting its demands, it remained closed. The announcement of the failure of the above Bank soon spread throughout the city, and the consequence was a general distrust of the Mechanics Bank, the Manufacturers and Mechanics Bank and Moyamensing. A run commenced on all these soon aftor opening, by their note holders and deposi ors. The Mechanic's yielded to this run a few minutes before one o'clock, and clossed its doors. Though two or three hundred persons were present at the time of this occurrence, those who were inside as well as those who were in front of the builaing. quietly dispersed. The run here was so short that unless the demands were for deposits, the iustitution must have stopped full handed or else was very poorly supplied with means. At the Manufactures and Mechanics' Bink the demand was almost entirely from note holders, and it was kepet up unceasing pressure at all sides of the counter, from the opening of the bank until some time after usual hour of closing. In the evening the D rectors met and come to the conclusion not to open the bank, for "the present." At the Moyamensing Bank the run was later commencing, it creaditors being tolerably quiet uutud about the time of the stoppage of the Mechanics. From that time until about 1 o'clock there wisa heavy press about its doors, and though the demands were numerous, the amounts appeared to be generally light, and almost entirely from note holders. Scarefly a depositor drew out any money - Here, at the manufactures and Mechanic's Book payments were made in funds that the brokers have been dealing in for some weeks, at a discount of from 10 to twenty per cent. This kind of currency tended considerably to check the demand as a numner refused it altogether. It wis a profitable operation for the bank, and its officers seemed disposed to make the m stof i instead of discouraging the run, they rather courted it, and closed the doors only when there was no further demand. Although there were collections around all these institutions, and many held notes on which they expected to be losers, there was no where visible ill feeling or noisy dissatisfaction. All seemed to look up you these failures as in some measure necessary to reach a purer and more wholesome state of things. Around the brokers offices there were clusters of people, but these gentlemen pretty generaliy refused to do much basiness. They, too, evine red much distrust and several of them having been losers recently to considerable amounts, chose to forego seeming profis to incurring the risk of further loss. The resuming banks are the Philadelphia, Commercial, North America, Farmers and Mechanics, Southwark, Northern liberties, Western, Kensington, German-town.


Article from New-York Tribune, March 30, 1842

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Article Text

us.The Philadelphians continue to draw specie from About $90,000 went on this afternoon. The supply of Treasury Notes continues light. Small amounts we quote at 1g a 13 discount; large do 2 a 21. The money market is light, and good paper sells at 1 all per month. Some of the Banks are discounting to a fair extent, but mostly they are pursuing a restrictive policy. Advices by the Columbia speak of the money market in England as being very easy. The Bank of England had put down the rate of discount to 4 per cent. She has received large supplies of bullion. We can see very little that is favorable in the accounts from the other side. In American stocks the only actual transactions were sales of $100,000 Pennsylvania Fives at 471 a 48, and a small amount at 50, and $100,000 Ohio Sixes, of 1250, at 60. We annex the quotations of the 3d, of the principal American securities:New-York Fives 75; Penasylvania Fives 47 a 50: Ohio Sixes 60; Indiana and Illinois Sterling Bonds 25; Louisiana Fives 60: Maryland Sterling Bonds 55; United States Bank 20th Bicknell's Reporter says-" The resumption of specie payments by our nine solventar business-doing banks sill continues, and as a consequence our money market is alarmingly contracted-the out-door rates on what is known as good paper' varying from 2 to 2) per cent. a month. The suspended banks continue closed for the ordinary purposes of trade, and their notes are selling at ruinous rates. We annex the rates at the close of the week: United States Bank notes 60 a 65; Girard notes 50 Pennsylvan ia do 22 a 25; 'Relief' notes 20 a 25; Mechanics' notes 15 a 25: Penn Township notes 25 a 30; Manufacturers' and Mechanics' notes 25 a 30; Mayomensing notes 18 a 25. Specie-paying banks; Philadelphia County-Philadelphia Bank, Commercial Bank, Bank of North America Farmers' and Mechanics" Bank of Northern Liberties, Western Bank, Kensington Bank. Germantown Bank, Southwark Bank. Pittsburg-Exchange Bank, Merchants' and Manufacturers' Bank, Pittsburg Bank. "York Bank, Bank of Middletown, Easton Bank, Deylostown Bank of Bucks county, Farmers' Bank of Reading, Franklin Bank of Washington, Northumberland Bank, Miners' Bank. Pottsville, Honesdale Bank, Bank of Montgomery county, Bank of Chester county, Delaware County Bank, and probably several others." The Presidents of the Backs in St. Louis, Mo., that are in a sound condition, and the Board of Currency, have had a meeting in that city, on the 18th, the result of which has been an arrangemently which all the strong Banks will go 51 harmoniously together, making weekly exchanges, each Bank issuing its OWB notes payable on the 5th December next. The New.Orleans Bulletin of the 19th says- The Banks have all accepted the 'Relief Law,' three of them, however, conditionally; but none of them are rising in opposition to the law. If we are not misinformed, they will on Monday all commence paying out their own notes at their counters. We anticipate an entire restoration of confidence in our currency, and, as a natural consequence, a fall in specie and exchange." Specie at New-Orleans on the 19th, 5a7 per cent. premium.