1. The Orient
China
Open door policy
Japan
Level 2

2. China At the time, China was a country only by name
In reality, European powers and Japan had split up China into “spheres of influence”
Each sphere could only trade with its parent country and any crimes committed by civilians in the sphere had to be prosecuted by the parent country’s court or appointed judge
Spheres of Influence

4. Open Door Policy
United States wanted to destroy spheres of influence and open up free trade in China
Open Door Policy failed initially because it was rejected by European powers who wanted to keep their supremacy in their respective sphere
US helped put down Boxer Rebellion to win the favor of the European powers
Finally, Britain and Germany accepted the Open Door Policy the second time around causing the other to follow suit
Subsequently, the US retained its lucrative trade with China

5. The Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion was instigated by a covert Chinese martial arts group called the Fists of Righteous Harmony.
They were strongly nationalist and sought to drive out foreign influence.
In 1900, they attacked foreign embassies capturing or killing diplomats.
A strong coalition force led by Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States crushed the rebellion.
The assistance of the US gained them favor with the European nations causing them to accept the Open Door Policy.

6. Commodore Matthew Perry meeting the Imperial Commissioners at Yokohama
Japan
Japan was an isolationist country
US wanted to trade with Japan
In 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry entered Tokyo harbor with powerful battleships to intimidate the Japanese with might and coerce them to open up trade
Japanese had never seen steam powered ships before—they were very afraid
Perry says he will return in 1 year to sign a treaty
In 1854 Japan signs Treaty of Kanagawa granting US trading rights in Japan
Commodore Matthew Perry meeting the Imperial Commissioners at Yokohama