1. What were the causes of the Opium Wars?
Imperialism in China
What were the causes of the Opium Wars? vs

2. China & The West p. 371
What was the basis of China’s self sufficiency?
What was China’s main crop & where was it grown?
What did the Spanish & Portuguese bring to China and how did it effect the Chinese?
What other resources did China have?

3. Stop selling drugs to our people!
The Opium Wars
Very little trade between China & the West, except for silk & tea for silver which favored China
British bring technology gifts to China, Chinese are unimpressed
Next, British bring opium from India to China
1835: 12 million Chinese were hooked on the drug – Chinese Qing Emperor tries to ban opium
Emperor’s advisor complains to Britain’s Queen Victoria
Queen ignores him and Britain continues trading in Opium
Stop selling drugs to our people!
Poppy Plant
Deal with it!
1839: China tries to destroy British opium. Britain starts “Opium Wars”
Chinese loses the war
1842: Treaty of Nanjing gives 1) Britain island of Hong Kong & 2) extraterritorial rights (foreigners not subject to Chinese Law)

4. Taiping Rebellion Boxer Rebellion
1850: Hong Xiuquan recruits peasant army to remove Qing Government, starting the Taiping Rebellion
Taiping Rebellion
1864: Empress Cixi asks British & French to help defeat Hong’s army since 20 million+ killed in Taiping Rebellion
Hong defeated, Empress “owes” Britain & France but rest of Europe & Japan want Spheres of Influence in China
Fearing another “Scramble for Africa”, the US negotiates the open door policy, which allowed all nations trade with China
Boxer Rebellion
New Qing Emperor wants to end open door pol.
He is arrested & Empress Cixi returns
1900: Angry Chinese form the Boxers, began a revolt known as the Boxer Rebellion
Although the Boxers were beaten, Chinese & West know reform is needed