November 7, 2016 Global II Agenda: DO NOW: Term Matching NOTES #17: How did imperialism affect China?

How did imperialism affect China? Notes #17

Beginning in the early 1800s, Britain began trading opium to China (after years of importing Chinese tea). Opium poppy Chinese tea

Many Chinese people became addicted to opium, causing China to ban Britain from trading it.

Britain refused to accept this ban and declared war on China in a series of conflicts called the Opium Wars. Opium Wars (1839 – 1860)

By the mid-1800s, China was defeated by Britain, which indicated that China was not strong enough to resist foreign nations.

As a result of its defeat in the Opium Wars, China was forced to sign “unequal treaties” and divided into spheres of influence by foreign nations.

This was because foreign nations had superior military technology and forces. Maxim gun

The Chinese people attempted to remove foreign influences from China through revolts, such as the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, . . .

. . . but failed to do so and China remained under foreign control (until 1947).