Homework
• Imp #7 due tomorrow
• Test on Imperialism Wednesday
– 25 Multiple Choice
– 2 Short Answers (out of 3 choices)
Aim #6: How was China opened
up to Imperialism?
January 7, 2015
I. Build-up to Conflict
A. Qing/Manchu Dynasty – Rules China
from 1644-1911. Does not encourage
foreign trade:
- China doesn’t need it: Has thriving
agriculture, extensive mining and
manufacturing.
- China sees itself as the Middle
Kingdom –
- British are only allowed to trade
at the port of Guangzhou. China
earns much more from what it
sells (tea) than the British do from
what they sell.
How are the British going to
feel about this situation?
I. Build-up to Conflict
B. In the early 1800s, the British finally find a product
the Chinese will buy in large quantities → opium
(highly addictive drug). By 1835, 12 million people in
China are addicted to it.
What can the Chinese do to stop the sale of opium?
II. The Opium Wars (1839-1842)
A. When Britain refuses to stop
trading opium, the Chinese
destroyed an opium shipment at
Guangzhou. In response, the
British attack Chinese port cities.
Three years of war follow.
B. China is defeated, forced to sign
the Treaty of Nanjing (1842):
- British gain the island of
Hong Kong. Keep it until 1997!
- Extraterritorial Rights – The
British are now allowed to
trade at five Chinese ports
besides Guangzhou.
III. Other Nations Step In
A. By the late 19th century, China’s
problems (like the Taiping
Rebellion) and weak, corrupt
government were well-known.
B. European countries and Japan
start taking more control over
China’s economy. They formed
spheres of influence (region in
which the foreign nation
controlled trade and
investment).
How are spheres of influence
different from colonies?
Which important country does NOT
have a sphere of influence?
III. Other Nations Step In
C. Open Door Policy:
United States demands
that China be open to
merchants of all nations,
not divided up into pieces
where only one country is
allowed to trade. Protects
American trading rights in
China, and ensures that
China does not become
colonized.
IV. The Boxer Rebellion
A. Poor Chinese peasants and workers
called Boxers want modernization
and resent that Europeans and
Christian missionaries have so much
power.
B. Boxer Rebellion (1900): The Boxers
surround the European section of
Beijing to wipe out the foreigners.
Europeans defend themselves for 55
days until an army of 20,000 soldiers
(from 8 countries) arrive and defeat
the Boxers.
Concluding Question
• Even though the Chinese lost the Boxer
Rebellion, why will this be a turning point in
Chinese history?