Motivation
First Opium War
Treaties
Primary Source Analysis
Perspectives
100
Which continent did Britain turn it's imperialism to next?
Asia! Particularly the country of China
100
What is opium? How and why did the British introduce it to China?
addictive drug that comes from the poppy plant and is usually smoked; they used it to weaken the Chinese and get them addicted so they would import it and balance their trade with Britain
100
What was the Treaty of Nanjing of 1842?
Treaty of Nanjing was signed at the end of the first Opium War
100
Who is the "honorable nation" and what did Lin want?
If the foreign merchants of your said honorable nation desire to continue their commercial intercourse, they then must tremblingly obey our recorded statutes, they must cut off for ever the source from which the opium flows, and on no account make an experiment of our laws in their own persons!
Chinese High Commissioner Lin Zexu’s letter to Queen Victoria
Great Britain; wanted them to end the opium trade
100
What other countries follow Britain's lead in imposing Treaties, creating spheres of influence across Asia?
France, Russia, Portugal, Japan, US, Netherlands, Italy and more
200
How did China treat foreigner traders prior to this period?
They were hesitant to establish diplomatic relations; "In the 1750s, the Chinese limited Western trade to the southern port of Canton (Guangzhou)."
200
How did the Chinese government respond to the British opium trade?
1838 the emperor decided to send one of his most able officials, Lin Tse-hsu (Lin Zexu, 1785-1850), to Canton (Guangzhou) to do whatever necessary to end the traffic forever.
200
What was the Boxer Protocol?
The treaty China was placed under after the Boxer Uprising, in which several foreign armies banded together and defeated the Boxers (who were trying to expel foreign influence)
200
Chinese are upset about the unequal treaties, they feel their sovereignty is violated His body language, facial expressions give this away because they show him upset with arms up
200
How did the Chinese view the Treaty of Nanjing? Why?
They felt it was unfair given Britain's use of opium and the benefits written into the treaty.
300
Identify two reasons that Europeans wanted to increase trade with China.
1. Chinese goods were in demand, ex: tea
2. British wanted a new market for their goods
300
How did Lin respond to the opium trade? What 2 rules did he put into effect?
1. Addicts were rounded up and provided treatment
2. Confiscate foreign stores and force foreign merchants to sign pledges of good conduct, agreeing never to trade in opium and to be punished by Chinese law if ever found in violation
300
Identify three ways the British benefited from the Treaty of Nanjing.
British citizens gained the right of extraterritoriality. Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from local laws, so the British, while in China, could follow their own laws and could not be arrested or punished by the Chinese.
Christian missionaries were allowed to preach in China
the British would have exclusive rights (as opposed to other nations) to trade with the Chinese in British “spheres of influence.”
300
European Spheres of Influence in Asia
300
Finish the sentence: During the 19th century, European nations established spheres of influence in China mainly to…
Control trade and ensure they had markets for their goods to fuel their industrialized economies
400
How did different cultures contribute to the growing tension between Britain and China? (consider the tribute system, for example)
When British citizens refused to follow the centuries-old system of tribute relations and began demanding both expanded trade and the establishment of embassies in the capital, they were immediately resisted and seen as challenging the Chinese way of life.
400
How did Lin's attempt to outlaw the British opium trade bring war?
Opinion in England was divided: Some British felt morally uneasy about the trade, but they were overruled by those who wanted to increase England's trade with China and teach the arrogant Chinese a good lesson.
400
What is extraterritoriality?
Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from local laws, so the British, while in China, could follow their own laws and could not be arrested or punished by the Chinese.
400
According to this cartoon, how did China feel about European attempts to trade?
Upset! Did not like them coming into their space!
400
If you were a European, American, or Japanese merchant, how would you view the unequal treaties with China?
Probably as equal, a fair outcome of the Treaty and Opium War
500
What was the purpose of Lord Macartney’s journey to China in 1793?
To try to open trade relations with China, but it failed because it was seen as a tribute mission
500
Who won the Opium War? Why were they victorious?
British weaponry and artillery outdid Chinese and the British declared victory. The war peace traty opened China to the West and marked the beginning of Western exploitation of the nation.
500
What is a “sphere of influence”?
A region or city in which British would have exclusive rights (as opposed to other nations) to trade with the Chinese
500
Finish the sentence:
"The Chinese didn't want our clothes, tools, or salted herring, and who can blame them? They had no demand. Our solution was to make a demand, by _____"
getting large sections of the populace addicted to opium, a drug which the Chinese government had outlawed.
500
How did the British use treaties, military strength, and the control of trade to consolidate and maintain power in China?
The British used their military strength to win the Opium War, the treaty from that war benefitted them immensely. They were able to control the trade and gain power in the region as a result.