Conflicts & Resolutions · Crisis

South Sea Bubble

1720 · 18th century

The South Sea Bubble was a financial crisis in Britain in 1720 caused by speculation in shares of the South Sea Company, which had taken over much of the national debt in exchange for trading rights in Spanish America. The share price rose about tenfold before collapsing in the autumn, ruining many investors and implicating ministers. Robert Walpole managed the aftermath and became the leading minister.

South Sea Bubble
Image: MostEpic · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). South Sea Bubble. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/south-sea-bubble
MLA
“South Sea Bubble.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/south-sea-bubble. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “South Sea Bubble.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/south-sea-bubble.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘South Sea Bubble’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/south-sea-bubble (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻