Subjects
Great Bubbles:
Reactions to the South Sea Bubble, the Mississippi Scheme and the Tulip Mania Affair
Editor: Ross B Emmett
978 1 85196 525 0: 234x156mm: £295.00/$520.00
Availability: Japan: Kinokuniya
Periods of euphoria followed by sudden crashes are a familiar phenomenon and examples of these provide for some of the most fascinating literature in the history of economics. Over time, such events have tended to become known as 'bubbles'. A bubble may be defined loosely as a sharp rise in price of an asset or a range of assets in a continuous process, with the initial rise generating expectations of further rises and attracting new buyers – generally speculators interested in profits from trading rather than in its use or earning capacity. The rise is then followed by a reversal of expectations and a sharp decline in price, often resulting in severe financial crisis – in short, the bubble bursts.
This edition brings together some of the most important writings on such phenomena – with works centring upon some of the most prominent bubbles – the Tulip Mania of 1636, the Mississippi Bubble of 1720 and the South Sea Bubble of the same period. Authors whose work is describing these events included in this edition are John Law, Daniel Defoe, Charles Mackay, Joseph Schumpeter, Adam Anderson and Andrew McFarlande Davis.
Contents
Volume 1
Charles Mackay, extracts from Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841), Vol.1 ch. 1-3 (pp.3-18); NW Posthumus, "The Tulipmania in Holland in the years 1636 and 1637" (1929); Simon Schama, extract from The Embarrassment of Riches: An interpretation of Dutch culture in the golden age (1988), pp. 343-71; Antoin Murphy, "John Law: aspects of his monetary and debt management policies" (1991); Joseph Schumpeter, extract from History of economic analysis (1954); John Law, Money and Trade Considered with a proposal for supplying the nation with money (1705); Earl J Hamilton, "The political economy of France at the time of John Law" (1969); Johann Beckmann, an extract from A history of inventions, discoveries and origins (1846), pp. 22-31
Volume 2
Mr Gray, The memoirs, life, and character of the great Mr. Law and his brother at Paris: down to this present year 1721, with an accurate and particular account of the establishment of the Mississippi Company in France, the rise and fall of its stock, and all the subtle artifices used to support the national credit of that kingdom by the pernicious project of paper-credit (1721); Andrew McFarlande Davis, "An historical study of Law’s system" (1887); Earl J Hamilton, "Prices and wages at Paris under John Law’s system" (1936-7); John Law, The Present state of the French revenues and trade, and of the controversy betwixt the Parliament of Paris and Mr. Law (1720); John Law, Observations on the new system of the finances of France particularly on the repurchase or paying off the annuities, and on credit and its use: in two letters to a friend (1720); Daniel Defoe, The anatomy of exchange-alley, or, A system of stock-jobbing: proving that scandalous trade, as it is now carry’d on, to be knavish in its private practice and treason in its publick ... to which is added some characters of the most eminent persons concern’d now, and for some years past, in carrying on this pernicious trade, by a jobber (1719); Daniel Defoe, extracts from Daniel Defoe: His Life, and recently discovered writings, extending from 1716 to 1729, by William Lee (1869) Vol.2 pp.153, 172-3, 180-1, 189, 202-4, 256; Larry Neal, extracts from The Rise of Financial Capitalism: International capital markets in the Age of Reason (1990) pp.44-61; Allan Ramsay, "To Mr Law" and "A South Sea Sang" (1720); Sandra Sherman, "Credit, Simulation and the Ideology of Contract in the early eighteenth century" (1995)
Volume 3
Adam Anderson, extract from The Origin of Commerce from the earliest accounts (1801) Vol. 3 pp.92-125; Anonymous, An Argument to shew the disadvantage that would accrue to the publick, from obliging the South-Sea Company to fix what capital stock they will give for the annuities (1720); Daniel Defoe, extracts from Daniel Defoe: His Life, and recently discovered writings, extending from 1716 to 1729, by William Lee (1869) Vol.2 pp.182, 208-10, 129-21, 250-3, 255, 268-71, 282-4, 323-5; Charles Gildon, All for the better; or, The world turn’d up-side down ... (1720); Jonathan Swift, The Bubble (1721); Samuel Johnson, extract from "John Gay", Lives of the English Poets, "Timothy Telltruth", Matter of Fact; or, The Arraignment and Tryal of the Di[recto]rs of the S[outh] S[ea] Company, with the Pleadings of the Counsel on both Sides (1720); Alexander Pope, Of the use of riches: An epistle to the right honourable Allen Lord Bathurst (1732); John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, extracts from Cato’s Letters: or Essays on liberty, civil and religious, and other important subjects (1755); Bruce G Carruthers, extract from City of Capital: Politics and markets in the English financial revolution (1996) pp.160-94; Ron Harris, "The Bubble Act: Its Passage and its effects on business organization" (1994); Gary Hentzi, "‘An Itch of Gaming’: The South Sea Bubble and the novels of Daniel Defoe" (1993); Catherine Ingrassia, "The pleasure of business and the business of pleasure: Gender, credit, and the South Sea Bubble" (1995); Larry Neal, extract from The Rise of Financial Capitalism: International capital markets in the Age of Reason (1990) pp.62-117; Pat Rogers, "Plunging in the Southern Waves: Swift’s Poem on the Bubble" (1988); Allan Ramsay, "Wealth, or the Woody: a poem on the South Sea" and "The rise and fall of stocks in 1720: An epistle to...My Lord Ramsey" (1721)
Reviews
‘… the collection of essays and primary sources edited by Emmett is particularly helpful for those seeking to move beyond the platitudes of the business pages and investigate this topic in a more scholarly manner…. the best coverage is given to the South Sea Bubble, and documents include detailed economic analyses, satirical observations such as Defoe’s The anatomy of exchange alley, poetical lamentations from Pope and Swift, and moralizing condemnations from Trenchard and Gordon.’
- Maxine Berg and Scott Breuninger, Economic History Review