Transformations Around the
Globe
Chapter 28
1800-1914
China Resists Western Trade
● In the late 18th century, China was self-sufficient due to
strong agriculture and wished to remain isolated
● pride in their culture made the Chinese look down on all
foreigners= Ethnocentrism
● China allowed limited trade with European powers and
rejected all products offered by European merchants
other than gold and silver
● Only one port was open for European trade in all of China
The Tea-Opium Connection
● The British were determined to find a good that the Chinese
would buy in large quantities in exchange for tea, porcelain
and other exotic Chinese goods
● They eventually found opium, an addictive narcotic made
from the poppy plant that was grown in British controlled
India
● By 1835 12 million Chinese people were addicted to opium
● Because of Opium addiction, many Chinese began
neglecting their farms and work as a result of drug use.
● Chinese economy and society was declining due to drug
abuse
The Opium War of 1839
● 1839: an advisor to the Chinese Emperor wrote Queen Victoria of
England to stop the British from importing opium to China. The plea
was ignored because Britain was making profit from the trade.
● Opium War breaks out in 1839
○ China’s outdated ships were no match for Britain’s steampowered gunboats- the British easily defeat Chinese
○ 1842: peace treaty signed:Treaty of Nanjing ends the war.
■ Britain gets island of Hong Kong and trading privliges
■ US and foreign citizens gain extraterritorial rights
(foreigners not subject to Chinese law)
Opium War Naval Battle
Growing Internal Problems for China
● Population Boom
○ 1850: Chinese population grew to 430 million
○ food production did not keep up with population
growth and led to widespread hunger
-social morale decreased and opium addiction rose
-as problems persisted, Chinese resentment towards the Qing
Dynasty increased
-Qing dynasty was viewed as weak for losing Opium war to
the British
Taiping Rebellion
● Hong Xiuquan recruited followers to build a “Heavenly Kingdom
of Great Peace”
● all Chinese people would share China’s vast wealth and poverty
would cease to exist (kind of like Communism)
○ became known as the Taiping Rebellion
○ By 1850s the peasant army numbered near 1 million
○ 1864: Taiping rebellion ended by the British army rather
than the Qing- illustrated Chinese military weakness
■ at least 20 million people died; deadliest rebellion ever
Foreign Influence Grows in the 19th Century
● Foreign nations took advantage of China’s instability and
began to set up “sheres of influence” where European nations
such as Britain dominated the Chinese economy and forced
them to trade.
● United States was also a long-time trading partner with China
○ United States feared that China would be taken over
economically by European nations such as Great Britain
○ 1899: USA declared the Open Door Policy- all western
nations have equal access to Chinese markets
Open Door Policy
•
•
•
•
•
•
How does this cartoon
reflect the “open door”
policy?
How do you think the
Chinese felt about this
policy?
1)What other
cartoon and topic
from a previous
chapter does this
remind you of?
2) What’s going
on in this cartoon?
The Boxer Rebellion
● widespread frustration led to violence
● poor peasants and workers resented special privileges granted
to foreigners (Europeans) living in China
● formed the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists and became
known as the Boxers because many practiced martial arts
● stronger feelings of Chinese nationalism emerged
● Goal of the Boxers: to rid China of foreign influence
● Results: Boxers ultimately defeated by Qing government with
much help from British and American forces
● Western control over China increased;
● Similar to Sepoy Rebellion in India…why?
• What is the main
• Idea of this
• Political cartoon?
The Boxer Rebellion of 1900
Comparing Chinese Imperialism to Imperialism in India and
Africa
• European nations never colonize and settle in
China the way they did in India by the British or
Africa by all European nations
• China was only economically controlled by
European nations, whereas India and Africa were
taken over politically and economically.
Japan Ends Its Isolation
● Japan had no contact with industrialized world during
isolation- wished to be isolated
● 1853: U.S. Commodore Perry took four ships to deliver
letter from President Fillmore to open up ports for trade.
○ Massive steam powered gunships shocked Japanese
who similarly to China had no chance against these
military weapons and European power
○ Treaty of Kanagawa (1854): ended Japanese isolation
and forced Japan to trade with Western nations
Commodore Matthew Perry Visits Japan
• Similarly to China,
Japan wanted to be isolated
but were forced to open
Their ports to European
trade.
End of Shogun and “Feudalism” in Japan
• -The
inability of the Shogun (military government) to
keep out foreigners led many Japanese to see the
government as weak.
• -The Shogun were removed from power, and
replaced by Meiji government who promises to
modernize the country
• Samurai replaced by a modern Japanese army
Modernization in Japan
• Emperor Meji
Meiji (modernization) Reform in Japan
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●
●
●
The Japanese resented the emperor for giving in to foreigners
1867: the shogun stepped down and the Meiji Era began
The Meiji emperor realized that Japan needed to modernize
he sent diplomats to Europe and US to study different governments
and societies
● changes were made in Japan to modernize the country
● Industrialization in Japan
○ 1872: first railroad line built
○ 1914: more than 7,000 miles of railroads built in Japan
○ Greatly increased coal and iron production to industrialize
Japanese Modernization
Yukichi Fukuzawa
1) Identify 2 things that suprised him about American life.
2. What does his astonishment about our feelings for George
Washington reveal about Japanese culture?
3. What did he bring back to Japan with him?
4. What was Fukuzawa unimpressed by in America?
Effects of the Meiji Era in Japan
 -Japan adopts a Western educational system
 Factories are built to mass produce goods
 Japan creates a modern military modeled after
Western nations
 Japan creates a strong centralized government
Effects of the Meiji Era on Japan
● 1890: Japan was the strongest military power in Asia- much
stronger than China as a result of modernization
● As power grew, the nation became more imperialistic as
Japan needed natural resources for industrialization
● Japan easily defeats China in a war in 1894, and gains control
over Korea
● Japan becomes the most powerful country in all of Asia
and can rival any European country in military power.
● MEIJI=MODERNIZATON OF JAPAN!!!
Russo-Japanese War of 1905
● Russia and Japan emerged as the major powers (and enemies)
in Asia
● Both countries went to war over Manchuria
● Led to Russo-Japanese War
○ Japan drove Russian troops out of Korea and captured
Russia’s Pacific fleet
○ 1905: U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt negotiates Treaty of
Portsmouth that ends the war
○ Russia had to withdraw from Manchuria and stay out of
Korea- 1st European country to be defeated by Japan
○ Japan proves its military power
○ Imperialistic war similar to the Boer war in South Africa