In 1720 a rash of market speculation (or stock-jobbing as it was called at the time) swept through England. Everyone, it seemed was desperate to get their hands on stock in The South Seas Company. Within the span of a year the bubble had rapidly expanded and even more rapidly burst. But what was The South Sea Company, what caused the bubble, and what does any of it have to do with Louisiana? All these questions and more are answered in this episode of Bad Ideas!