Investigate Fresh Avenues in Examining the South Sea Bubble Through ECCO III Research
The Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) is set to undergo a significant expansion with the arrival of ECCO Part III (ECCO III) in 2026. This update, scheduled for release after two decades, promises to broaden and deepen the digitization of materials from the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe [1].
ECCO III will add a staggering 1.7 million newly digitized pages to the archive, making it the most accessible, geographically diverse, and visually compelling database for eighteenth-century research ever created [2]. The new installment boasts full-color scanning, a feature that sets it apart from earlier reproduction efforts [2].
One of the highlights of ECCO III is its inclusion of materials rarely found in earlier reproduction efforts. These include full-color broadsides, marginalia, illustrated title pages, book covers, and spines [3]. This addition enriches scholarly research across multiple disciplines and geographies [1][5].
The materials in ECCO III also complicate traditional narratives and invite new forms of scholarly inquiry into global history, gender, empire, linguistics, and colonial knowledge systems [4]. For instance, the archive reveals that women comprised up to 20% of investors in the South Sea Company, challenging the common perception of their limited involvement in financial matters [6].
The term "South Sea" in the early 18th century referred specifically to South America and its surrounding waters [7]. The South Sea Company, originally chartered to manage Britain's national debt and secure overseas trade rights, collapsed in 1720 due to insider manipulation and political complicity [8]. ECCO III preserves printed texts from the era of the South Sea Bubble, including broadsides, satires, and moral commentaries [9].
These materials provide a rich tapestry of contemporary interpretations of the crisis, offering scholars a unique perspective into the discourse of the time [9]. For example, the archive includes satirical broadsides and moral commentaries that reinforced discourses about women's recklessness, but also counterpoints like Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough who divested early [6].
ECCO III is more than just a digital archive; it's a generative engine for scholarship that was logistically impossible a generation ago [10]. The new interactive exhibit, Bursting the Bubble, demonstrates what's possible when researchers use ECCO III to retrieve archival materials [3].
Register interest on the product page to receive updates on ECCO III, or request a trial to explore how the archive can support eighteenth-century scholarship across disciplines [1]. With its vast scope of over 180,000 titles and 32 million pages [1], ECCO Part III is poised to revolutionize eighteenth-century studies.
References: [1] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) Part III. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii [2] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). ECCO Part III. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii [3] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). Bursting the Bubble. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-exhibits/bursting-the-bubble [4] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). ECCO Part III: Expanding the Boundaries of Eighteenth-Century Scholarship. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-part-iii-expands-the-boundaries-of-eighteenth-century-scholarship [5] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). ECCO Part III: A Broad and Deep Resource for Eighteenth-Century Studies. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-part-iii-a-broad-and-deep-resource-for-eighteenth-century-studies [6] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). Women and the South Sea Bubble. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-exhibits/women-and-the-south-sea-bubble [7] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). The South Sea Bubble: A Financial Crisis in the 18th Century. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-exhibits/the-south-sea-bubble-a-financial-crisis-in-the-18th-century [8] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). The South Sea Company: A Brief History. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-exhibits/the-south-sea-company-a-brief-history [9] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). The South Sea Bubble: A Time of Crisis and Controversy. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-exhibits/the-south-sea-bubble-a-time-of-crisis-and-controversy [10] Gale, Cengage Learning. (n.d.). ECCO: A Generative Engine for Scholarship. Retrieved from https://www.gale.com/products/eighteenth-century-collections-online-ecco-part-iii/ecco-a-generative-engine-for-scholarship
ECCO III will significantly enhance online-education and learning opportunities in the field of eighteenth-century studies, as it expands the digitized archive with over 1.7 million pages of materials. The new installment enriches scholarly research across multiple disciplines with full-color scanning and the inclusion of rare materials such as broadsides and illustrated title pages.
