The Opium Wars

The Opium Wars
The Opium Wars
The two Opium Wars, which took place from 1839–1860, were the starting point of modern Chinese
history. To start off, the First Opium War was a major turning point for modern chinese history.
Secondly, during the wars many treaties were signed to try and create peace. Finally, without these
events, China would not be the major world power that it is today. Therefore, the Opium Wars were
the most important part of modern world history because they changed and created the foundation of
China. There are many reasons why the first Opium War was significant, but one of the main points
is that it was the beginning of modern Chinese history. To start off, before the first war even took
place, the Qing government was shut off from the world. Their economy was poor and it wasn't
improving. During this time period, Britain didn't have enough silver to trade for Chinese tea. To
solve this problem, they began to illegally ship opium, a substance used for pain relief, to China for
silver. As this went on, the Qing government decided that they weren't going to allow opium to
poison their people. Wanting to solve this problem, the Tao–Kuang emperor ordered his governor
general, Lin Tse–hsu, to get rid of the opium trade. Following orders, Lin Tse–hsu "destroyed
19,187 boxes and 2119 bags of opium in three days" (Huang). This event was known as the
"Destruction of opium at Humen". With this act of destruction the British became very angered,
giving them the excuse to start
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What Was The Result Of The Opium War
"The Treaty of Nanjing, signed in 1842 at the end of the Opium War, opened China to foreign
trade." ('Nanjing') The Opium War is still relevant till this day, because of the opening of 5
International Trade ports. (China's trade) This was not the only result of the Opium War, but I
believe it to be the most relevant till this day and has brought China prosperity. Other results of the
Opium War, as we discussed in class, include the cession of Hong Kong to the British, over 25
million in silver, fixed tariff by the British, extraterritoriality for the British (and later on,
Americans) , and "Most favored nation" states. Britain's experiences also encouraged America to
make certain agreements alongside China, so they also could be able to continue ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
You may be asking yourself, why did opium even become an object of trade? Well, Opium
originally started becoming an object of trade when, "Western traders, including those from the
United States, had long sought a variety of Chinese products (including furniture, silk and tea), but
found there were few products that China wanted from the West."(The Opening to China Part I: the
First Opium War, the United States, and the Treaty of Wangxia, 1839–1844) Before the war, Opium
was very highly used in trade, because the British couldn't find any other values which China
wanted from them. The opium started to become addictive to the Chinese creating a greater
connection between Canton and Guangxi Guangdong region. But Opium soon became unwanted in
China because of the addictions, a majority of the population, was just lethargic and also all of the
silver in China was being poured into the British banks through the Opium trade. "The sums of
money circulating in the southeast because of the opium trade and the stock piling of silks and teas
for export in turn brought heightened official corruption and a rise in state revenues from transit
dues and from taxation of legitimate foreign trade". (Spencer

Essay On The Opium War
The first opium war which began in 1839 is a story of how China a rich, prosperous and stable
power, """ albiet a closed, confucian society" ruled by the Emperor Daoguang (r. 1820 to 1850)
turned into a weakened and compromised state brought about by the exploitation and humiliation by
the British and other Western powers throughout the 19th century. The war stemmed from an
extremely strained Sino–British relation through the early 1800s, the inherent cultural differences
between the Chinese and the West especially Britain as well as their extremely contrasting views on
trade in general and specifically opium. I will be exploring how the opium war stemmed from an
extremely strained Sino–British relation through the early 1800s, the inherent cultural differences
between the Chinese and the West especially Britain as well as their extremely ... Show more
The chinese interpretation is that the Chinese who till the end of the 18th century were the most
powerful and richest civilization in the world who became bullied by British warships and opium
turning into a compromised empire that became overrun by Western colonizers over the next century
(Lovell 184). They have believed the British were getting rich by the trade and when the Emperor
put a stop to it the British started a war to protect their interests. (letter from Commissioner Zexu to
Queen Victoria). Whereas, Western historians have tried to downplay opium as the cause for the
anglo–chinese wars and portrayed economic and cultural differences between the two societies as
the cause of the war. I believe both were extremely important and that the opium trade was a catalyst
for the eventual but the cultural differences and different opinions on trade, commerce, international
policy and other important aspects was the cause of the war as these differences meant China and
Britain were always on a path for conflict and opium only sped up the

The Impact Of The Opium War
The Opium War was a war between the United Kingdom and Imperial China. Smoking opium for
the stimulating impacts is not noted in China until the eighteenth century, but rather likely started at
some point before. The Chinese Imperial Government in the mid eighteenth century turned out to be
progressively concerned with the spreading dependence on opium and its crippling impact. The
Imperial Government disallowed the offer of opium blended with tobacco and banned opium–
smoking houses (1729). The Government classed offering opium for smoking "was classed with
burglary and affectation to kill, and rebuffed with expulsion or passing." The Government found, be
that as it may, extremely hard to stop the exchange, particularly as the British consistently ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Prior to the Opium wars China had begun to build up a urban business economy, however once the
wars started, China was presented rashly to western commercial enterprises. China couldn't contend
and got to be subject to remote products and exchange. While the wars did give China a urban
business sector economy, they likewise about devastated the economy as of now set up. After the
wars China understood that the nation couldn't keep on being so independent. Scholarly people
understood that they must attempt to comprehend western society, particularly if they somehow
managed to beat the West. Lin Zexu, Xu Ji–yu, and Wei Yuan read deciphered material from the
West and distributed books on western nations and society. They found out about western political
thoughts, social structures, and economies. Surprisingly, China set up an outside service. They
attempted to modernize China's armed force and set up processing plants. Then again, the greater
part of the business undertakings were keep running by medieval administrators, who did not
completely comprehend private enterprise and the business economy. They attempted to hoard the
business sector, which gagged private part commercial enterprises. The majority of these
undertakings went bankrupt, however regardless of the fact that the organization fizzled the civil
servants got to be

Opium Wars In The 1800s
The Opium Wars
Student– Rebecca Courte
Teacher – Mrs O'Connor
Prior to the Opium Wars in the 1800's the Qing Dynasty had conquered more land than ever for
China, its jurisdiction was nearly 10 million square kilometres but this cost them dearly and
regardless of their prodigious feats, soon begun a slow decline. After following the example of
Genghis Kahn and his nucleus of universal culture, the overthrow of the Ming dynasty was slightly
less barbaric than previous dynasty collapses. But as the country became more peaceful the
population boomed, trebling what it had been during the last century, this lead to famines, disease
and overcrowding. Although their people were starving and living in poverty the country remained
rich in resources such ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Some of the major ones include a series of unequal treaties initiated by the British which forced
China to oblige because they were a less dominant empire. There was also the continued
encroachment of foreigners into China which the Qing dynasty failed to control. This was one of
many things that lead to the Qing government being seen as incompetent and a subsequent political
turmoil in which there were many struggles for power. But one of the major long term consequences
was the adoption of western doctrines and beliefs. The Opium Wars opened the society's eyes to
alternate cultures and

The Opium Wars Of The 19th Century
Jordyn Saito
Pacific Basin
Prof. Dongyoun Hwang
12/3/16
The Opium Wars
Imperial China was one of the greatest civilizations. It was leading in its inventions, trading routes,
and craftsmanship. Beginning in 221 BC, it lasted up till the final Qing Dynasty. It's downfall can be
attributed to the introduction of the drug, opium, from the west. It's introduction inspired two wars,
namely The Opium wars of the 19th century. In the 18th century, the country was flourishing, while
it had control of international trade. By the 19th century, China had lost control of trade and was
struggling with mass amounts of poverty and addiction.
Many assume that because of the Qing Dynasty 1644–1912, China had no outside contact with the
world. However, this is false. Since the 16th century the imperial court had been receiving European
diplomatic and religious missions. From 1760 Canton or what is called now Guangzho, a city north
easy of Hong Kong, had the monopoly on foreign trade within China. During this time, China had
many cultural and diplomatic procedures involving foreign trade. Foreigners interacted with
Cohongs, licensed chinese merchants. More and more Europeans began to get involved with trade in
China and the city of Canton flourished with international trade. China had many exotic and high
quality products to sell to Europeans. Silk, tea, herbs, spices, and porcelain were among the chief
exports. Tea, being the most popular export to Great Britain, was in high

Opium War Dbq
The Opium War from 1839 to 1842 was the beginning of Modern Chinese history. The Opium War
was not about opium because the Treaty of Nanjing does not state a single thing about opium. The
treaty was between China and England in 1842, stating in the first Article that there should be peace
between the two countries. The Treaty of Nanjing does not include any articles about opium being a
reason for the war but it includes agreements of both countries to continue trade. Opium was part of
the reasons for the war but it did not cause the war. Opium can be said to provide the occasion of the
war rather than the cause of the war because it was both a political and social issue that affected
China and Britain's motives that led to the outbreak of the war. It was a political issue that affects
China's motives in trade because the trading system was the Canton system, which does not involve
the government. The Canton system was a trading system operated by merchants called the Hong ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
People in Britain were not allowed to smoke opium because it was illegal and had hash punishments
if they did therefore the people were too scared to start smoking it. Because of the harsh
consequences of smoking opium, Britain tries to sell it to China to make money. They made money
because the Chinese bought and became addicts that lead them to buy more. In The Treaty of
Nanjing, it states " His Imperial Majesty further agrees to pay to the British Government the sum of
Three Millions of Dollars, on account of Debts due to British subjects by some of the said Hong
Merchants who become insolvent" (Article V). China has to pay a large amount of money to Britain
because it was said to be due to the "British subjects." It also affected Britain socially because
British subjects were allowed to reside in China even when it isn't trade season, which benefits them
to trade more along with the sudden gain of money from

The Leading Causes Of The Opium Wars
The Leading Causes of the Opium Wars The Opium Wars were a series of conflicts that eventually
led to China's decline through the trade and abuse of the drug opium. The first of the Opium Wars
(1839–42) was fought between China and Britain, and the second war (1856–1860) involved France
as well. In both wars, the foreign powers triumphed over China, causing havoc, causing the fall of
the Qing dynasty. Prior to the Opium Wars, China was full of rich culture, remarkable goods, and
useful inventions. They had invented gunpowder, kites, and porcelain, all of which were in demand.
The Qing dynasty had believed that they were superior to other countries, and refused to let any
foreigners access any Chinese territory. There was only one area where trade was permitted, and it
was inside the province of Canton, though payments were only allowed to be made in silver. The
largest demand was for silk and tea from China, but England had a limited amount of the silver to
trade. So instead, they began to trade Opium to China. Opium was in high demand at the time, and
many merchants accepted it as currency for goods. With Britain having control of several poppy
fields in India, producing large amounts of the drug was not a problem. The trade of opium was the
root cause of the Opium Wars, but other causes such as China's unfair trade superiority, the
economic opportunity the west saw in the trade, and the addiction to the drug all helped cause the
wars as well. The Opium Wars were

The Opium Wars: Britain And China
The Opium Wars, despite being a small footnote in history books, is a complex war that heavily
based itself on the concept of trade. It involved two different nations, China and Britain, and how
both sides bickered and argued over trade to the brink of war. China, with clear power in its trade
over Europe, implemented a new trade system which restricted the flow of goods from Europe to a
single port named Guangzhou or better known as Canton. Worst, the Chinese would only accept
opium as a form of payment for goods. For Britain, this would be an economic nightmare since they
survived two major wars (American Revolution and Napoleonic) and was running a major trade
deficit from buying Chinese goods with silver. To mitigate their losses, the British switched to
opium as a form of payment which the Chinese took (illegally though). The Qing government, after
some ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In retaliation, the British resorted to war with the Chinese to 1) open more ports due to failed
negotiations, 2) allow opium to flow unrestricted as a commodity in the country, and 3) to get the
Qing to compensate for the lost opium that was destroyed by their advisor Lin Zexu. Before the
Opium Wars, Britain and China have been engaged in regular trade as early as in the 1700s.
However, in 1757, the Qing declared that all western traders must trade only in the Canton port. This
act is intentional though being that the Chinese had started to view the westerners as a destabilizing
factor in China due to the Flint Affair. The Flint Affair, involving an employee directly addressing
his grievances to the Emperor, was partially responsible for the implementation of the Canton
system. Because of Flint's actions, the Chinese became suspicious that traders from western
countries could choose to break the rules set by the Canton system and do as they may. This is
supported by an earlier decree from Emperor Kangxi in which he

Essay on Opium Wars
Drugs have been around for hundreds of years and it modifies normal body functions depending on
the drug. During the 19th century, the Chinese had become a victim under the dangerous drug of
Opium. When opium was first introduce in China it was like any other drug, addictive and harmful
to the human body but the Chinese weren't aware of the opium negative effects. Opium the narcotic
drug is derived of from immature seed pods of poppy plants. Opium was used for pain relieving, it
was one of the first drugs able to relieve pain before morphine was invented, and morphine is safer
drug then opium and they both came from the same plant. Before the opium war, foreign trade to
Western countries was limited and strictly controlled by the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Strong economy is very important for every nation, especially in periods of conflicts happening, and
with a strong economy countries can support their own military by buying more weapons for better
war results. China's defeat isn't just from lack of technology into military but it's also the insufficient
funds to their military. A nation's military superiority is usually determined by how much the nation
is willing to spend on its military; we still see today the superpower of the world like United States
is known for its dominating military but their expenditure on military is extremely high which forces
their nation in debt. But China is exactly opposite of the modern United States, when they do have
money to spend, these money won't be used effectively and investing into dead–end ancient
weapons like bows and spears. Another misuse of spending for the Chinese government is that they
spend too much money on arts and instead on their growing fine good's production prospering China
a lot during the Opium wars. Though China isolates them away from the rest of the world it does
keep a steady economy and the Opium wars triggered an economical boom in China which they will
slowly prosper. With the treaty of five ports, it welcomes British merchants to do trades with the
Chinese and actually benefit both sides. While British are only interest in certain

The Opium Wars
Script for radio documentary on the Opium Wars
Presenter: It really is no wonder why the Opium Wars are rarely discussed or spoken of in
mainstream media. After all, why would anyone want to look back at the disgraceful and quite
frankly hideous history of how the British procured their favourite national drink? A drink they are
now well known for around the world. A drink that has become synonymous with Britishness.
I am of course referring to glorious tea.
(Song or something can go here)
Presenter: It has always astonished me how accurately a bunch of dry leaves have managed to
epitomise absolute Britishness, after all ask anyone their top 3 items they relate to being British and
among the array of telephone boxes, double decker buses and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Opium was first introduced in China by the Turkish and Arab traders and although at first it was
used in limited quantities, a trend of opium smoking became quite fashionable and swept through
China. This lead to a rapid increase in addiction and opium export and this instigated some of the
first government prohibitions in 1723, but the opium trade continued to flourish. At the same time in
Britain there was a high demand for Chinese silks and porcelain, but above all tea, because tea at the
time only came from China. Due to this, China had a considerable amount of power over Britain.
Britain had an insatiable greed for tea and made enormous demands for it at the time and solely
because of this they ended up having to pay almost $6 million silver dollars every year to China.
The only other commodity that the Chinese desired besides this was Opium. The British found that
they could grow poppies in abundance in India and so the British began bartering tea with opium.
This became a way of balancing the trade deficit and the Chinese seemed to have no issue in
depleting their silver reserves for opium. This lead to detrimental effects on Chinese society,
economy and public health as widespread addiction was caused due to the

The First Opium War And Its Effects On China
Throughout Chinese history, political and economic events have almost always led to drastic
changes in China itself. Many of these events have been internal struggles with China. Some events
have been external, such as the First Opium War. The First Opium war, which lasted from 1839 to
1842, led to several economic and political changes in China. The Opium War is considered more
that just a war, the results created a deep impact on China and the Western World. For hundreds of
years, China had isolated themselves from the world and from foreign trade, but a single dispute
over trading rights led to a huge war, which dictated the future of China. The first Opium War was
because of the trade imbalance between England and China. This paper will discuss what caused the
first Opium War and its after effects on China.
China had long been aware of opium as a medicine, and its addictive qualities had also been known.
In 1723, its sale and consumption within China had been made illegal. With a rapid growth in
population, the demand for opium was high. The British were users of opium, and sold it across
many apothecary shops in London. They did not see opium addiction as a problem. British
merchants violated the Chinese opium ban and bribed Chinese officials to begin importing opium
into the country. The British had "been illegally exporting opium mainly from India to China since
the 18th century, but the trade grew dramatically from about 1820." (Opium Wars, Kenneth Pletcher,

Opium War Essay
Before the Opium Wars, China's cohesive civilization was seen to be the "oldest in the world" for
they had a number of governmental rules keeping them in power. The united country was
geographically isolated, had an immense population, and a single written language, allowing trade
and communication throughout China. Their unifying code, Confucianism, was a system of
philosophical teachings, emphasizing the value of education and morality. In Europe, the merchants
seeked Chinese goods, such as tea, silk, and drugs. Since the West was restricted from gaining
power and superiority because they were trading silver, they decided to give it to India, a colony of
Great Britain. Any silver that they gave to India would recycle and become tax money. Instead of
silver, Britain traded opium to China for goods, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 1842, at the conclusion of the Opium War, China was forced to accept a series of pacts from
Great Britain called the Treaty of Nanjing. This treaty opened five Chinese trading ports, urged the
Qing government to give up their status as the most favored nation, and allotted extraterritoriality to
the British. China no longer had any power, and the West was not obligated to follow Chinese laws.
Despite the Chinese laws regarding the sale of Opium, England legalized opium trade in Britain and
restricting the Chinese from taxing it (Opium Wars PPT). China continued to weaken just as much
as their judicial authority. By 1900, foreign powers had control of Chinese ports, and foreign
merchants controlled the Chinese economy due to the unequal treaties. Since Britain had taken
much of the China's power, Christian missioners were able to find Chinese converts throughout the
country (Traditions & Encounters 736). Not only was Great Britain able to confine the Qing
government, but they also overpowered China's military, leaving the Chinese to fight with all their
will to preserve their land and

Opium War Dbq
Opium wars–Opium Wars is two wars that between china and Britain over the endeavors of the
Chinese government to stop the increase of foreign created opium imported by Britain. California
Gold rush–fast inundation of fortune searchers in California that started after gold was found at
Sutter's Mill in mid–1848 and its climax in 1852
Transcontinental railroad–The First Transcontinental Railroad in North America was built in the
1860s, connecting the rail route system of the East drift with California. Civil War– War between the
United States of America and the Confederate States of America, the Union formed their own
country to protect the institution of slavery. Chinese immigrants– Chinese immigrants migrated to
the United States in the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Chinese working sugarcane plantations– Hawaii's plantation owners recruited Chinese laborers to
work in the sugar fields. They signed a five–year contract which earned them three dollars a month
plus their passage, room and board. Chinese immigration 1849–1882–The first period began shortly
after the California Gold Rush and ended abruptly with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of
1882. Chinese immigration 1882–1965– Only diplomats, merchants, and students and their
dependents could travel to the United States. Chinese Americans were confined to segregated
ghettos, called Chinatowns, in major cities and isolated regions in rural areas across the country.
Chinese immigrants 1965–Present– Chinese Americans were liberated from a structure of racial
oppression and now live like modern citizens not subject by laws banning them into the country.
Domestics– a hired household servant. Chinese supplied labor for America's growing industry– the
Chinese provided a quarter of California's labor force which lead to Americas growth and

Opium Wars Research Paper
Who's to blame for the Opium Wars?
The Opium Wars were a series of two wars fought between the British Empire and Chinese over
trading right within the borders of China, however which nation is to blame for the opium wars?
Firstly Britain had a stronger power over China which gave them more confidence to take hold of
China. Secondly Britain was given countless of times to stop the opium trade but still became angry
after they blew it up and Thirdly Even after Britain had gotten hold of Hong Kong and was able to
trade within China, they continued to trade opium. Therefor Britain was to blame for starting the
Opium Wars.
Britain had greater power over the Chinese, which gave them more confidence to force trade with
them. The British Empire was ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It wasn't until 1839 did Emperor Qin ban the opium after the death of his son from addiction. When
Britain continued to trade opium Emperor Qing appointed Lin Zexu as the Governor of Canton. His
job was to cease all opium coming into China. When a blockade was broken and the opium ships
came sailing back in Lin, convinced Charles Elliot, the British superintendent of all trade in China,
to handover all the opium. It is referenced in 'Cultural China (2010) First opium war' "Lin banned
the sale of opium, asked that all opium be surrendered to the chinese authorities" Lin then destroyed
it all, thus sparking the First Opium War. The letter that Lin sent to Queen Victoria stating what
would happen to anyone who would continue the trade, it is clearly shown that Lin is very angry at
the Queen: " May you, O king, Check your wicked and sift your wicked people before they come to
china, In order to guarantee the peace within your nation." Unlike most letters this one is written
with sarcastic comments and insults. Yes, China did spark the Opium Wars by blowing up the
opium, but if it weren't for Britain's continuous trade, they would have never

The Importance Of The Opium Wars In China
The Opium Wars took place in China from 1839 to 1860, between Western forces and the Qing
dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 to 1912. The first Opium War occurred from 1839 to 1832
and was fought between China and Britain. In the 17th and 18th centuries, European demand for
Chinese goods (particularly silk, porcelain, and tea) created a trade deficit between Great Britain and
Qing Imperial China. In 1839, China's Emperor had enough of British drug smuggling and
suspended all British trade with China, beginning the first Opium War. In 1842, the Qing Dynasty
was forced to sign the Treaty of Nanking, which granted protection and immunity to Britain, and
opened five treaty ports to foreign suppliers, among other things. The second Opium War, also
referred to as the Anglo–French War in China, occurred from 1856 to 1860, and was fought by
Britain and France against China. The failure of the Treaty of Nanking to satisfy British goals of
enhanced trade and diplomatic relations led to the second war. In both opium wars, the foreign
powers were victorious and obtained commercial advantages and legal and territorial concessions in
China. The wars began an era of unequal treaties on Qing sovereignty that helped weaken the
dynasty and eventually lead to the collapse in favor of republican China. The opium wars are
significant because they humiliated the Chinese, who still considered themselves a great and
powerful empire. The wars were also a clear example in showing the world that China could be
pushed around by distant foreign powers. Contemporary Chinese still feel the need to prove
themselves on the world stage because of this.
Following the Opium Wars and the Treaty of Nanking, the Qing dynasty struggled to maintain
control and legitimacy. Searching for an alternative, hundreds of thousands of disillusioned peasants
joined what became known as the Taiping Rebellion. It was a civil war in China that lasted from
1850 to 1864 and was fought between Qing dynasty and the Christian millenarian movement of the
Heavenly Kingdom of Peace, which was created by Hong Xiuquan. Hong thought God had sent him
to rid the world of evil. The Taiping Rebellion claimed to herald a new era of economic and social
justice. Taiping

Opium War China Imperialism
The connotation of the word may give the meaning of power or someone who is powerful. But the
definition based off an example gives a literal definition; the act of a country to take over other
nearby countries, to gain power and economic influence. An example of imperialism is the Opium
Wars (Britain and China). The Chinese and the British were in war because British wanted to
dominate and have all the goods that came from China like opium. This is why the example of the
the Opium War will help understand the definition of what imperialism means in a real life situation.
It all started with looking for which surrounding territory was more beneficial for the British.
Having leaders to lead them into the war. Lastly, by having major events ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The Chinese sold many things that European markets were interested in. The British, observing the
demand for opium in China, both for legitimate reasons, and by addicts, grew and sold large
amounts of opium, and sold it to intermediaries for silver that would eventually sell it on to the
Chinese. The balance of trade being upset, and the concern over the growing number of Chinese
opium addicts, led the Chinese government to impound foreign ships, destroy cargos, and arrest
merchants. Basically suppressing the trade. The British did not like China's decisions. Therefore the
British responded violently, they had a couple of bloody battles, the British won numerous times ,
dominating Chinese armies. China tried fighting back but it made things worse. Another major event
that occurred in the Opium wars is the Treaty of Nanjing. This treaty is a big event because it gave
Britain a lot of advantages, like the Chinese giving full control of Hong Kong to Britain. Also giving
Britain more ports where they could trade Opium, the last thing that the British was given by the
Chinese in accordance to the treaty was money. This basically showed that the British won the first
Opium war, due to all the privileges the British gained from the Chinese's peace

The First Opium War
As a result, this devastated Britain. Finally, the British handed over the last of the year's crop of
opium. Lin Zexu had trenches dug to destroy the opium. He had the opium drenched in water, salt,
and lime juice, making it unusable. Britain was enraged after seeing the result of their precious
opium. They demanded that China pay millions in compensation. When the Chinese refused, Britain
forced China into open trade. Furthermore, Great Britain sent a large fleet of ships to attack China.
The ships arrived June of 1840. Britain took over cities and towns one by one. Guang Zhou,
Dinghai, Zhejiang, and Beijing are some of the cities they either took over or destroyed. When the
emperor found out about what was happening, he blamed scholar official Lin Zexu, ... Show more
Even so, the Chinese were delaying their part of the treaty. In all actuality, I think that they were
trying to avoid dealing with the treaty at all costs. At this point in time, Great Britain was growing
impatient with all of the delays and excuses being given. In 1856, the British decided to ally with
France to teach China another "lesson". Thus, the second opium war began. With all things
considered, nothing relatively important happened during this war. Just a few squabbles here and
there. But that is beside the point. By the end of the war, Britain and France pretty much had China
Under its thumb. But how did the two little countries take over China? They took over Beijing, the
imperial capitol. This is where the convention of Beijing was held. (given the name, kind of
obvious, huh?) In all actuality, this little document just legalized the trade of opium. The document
was signed October 24, 1860, thus ending the second and all future opium wars. After this entire
fiasco, China finally opened up to global trade. The problem with that was outside powers had more
influence on China than it had on itself. Their economy was suffering

Anti Opium Movement, Opium War And Their Causes
Haoyang Fan
MMW 14 Summer 2015
July 23, 2015
TA: Joel Palhegyi
Final Paper
Anti–Opium Movement, Opium War and Their Causes The main theme of 19th century was the
imperialism expansion of western capitalistic industrial nations throughout the whole world. During
this process, the conflicts between occidental imperialism powers and oriental countries never
stopped. The First Opium War, well known as the Opium War, was the war that happened during
September, 1839 to Autumn, 1842, between China and Britain. The war was initiated by the
conflicts between China and Britain on the fact that some British merchants, who worked for the
East India Company, smuggled opium to China and ignored Chinese laws. The mania of opium
smoking shocked the Chinese government and triggered the anti–opium movement. Lin Zexu, a
Chinese official known as Commissioner Lin, burned out the confiscated opium at Humen. During
the war, China suffered great loss and ended up with a disastrous fiasco. The result was extremely
humiliating to China and profoundly changed the fate of China: China was compelled to sign a
series of unequal treaties, cede Hong Kong and compensate huge war indemnity. When I viewed this
miserable history of China, a question was created in my mind. Considering the great power gap
between the declining China and the rising Britain, what factors led the Chinese government to
launch the anti–opium movement at the expense of triggering the Opium War? My answer is quite
explicit: the

Opium Wars
Opium Wars and They Changed China In the early eighteen hundreds, Britain and other European
countries demanded more and more Chinese commodities, especially tea and silk. However, only
the port in Canton was opened to foreign countries, and Chinese would not take any other form of
payments besides silver. The desire to make China into a free market that foreigners have more
access to and the increasing, though illegal, European opium import to China eventually created
tension between the European countries, especially Britain, and the Chinese government (Allingham
Par. 1–2). The two battles fought and won by European powers were known as the Opium Wars.
China's politics, economy, and intellects were both positively and negatively ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The combination of increasing unemployment rate and food price created severe poverty across the
nation (Goldfinger par. 1–3). The currencies in China, too, went through a lot of changes to
accommodate the increasing trade. At first, the silver Spanish dollars became rare and increased in
value so much that it was outlawed as a usable currency. However, at the same time, the Chinese
copper currency were also being used less due to the fact that the metal was becoming rare and the
administration of the currency was extremely poor. The Mexican dollar was introduced but the
problem was not solved until paper money were used in 1853 (Goldfinger par. 2). To make the
economy worse, during the First Opium War, China had to pay six million silver dollars to ransom
Canton, and an additional nine million dollars were paid to foreigner traders for their loss. Later,
twelve million taels of silver were paid to Britain and France under the treaties negotiated after the
Second Opium War. All of those factors weakened the Chinese economy in the 1800s (Allingham
par.5–9). However, the Opium Wars' impact is everlasting, for "the Chinese have embarked on a
long and arduous struggle to expunge the humiliations which they suffered during and since the
Opium War...Foreign industrialists may continue to dream of the supposedly unlimited China
market, but the Chinese...are determined to keep the 'open door' sufficiently ajar to import vital
technologies, while keeping all unwanted

Opium Wars Unfolded And Their Effects On Others
How the Opium Wars Unfolded and Their Effects on Others The Opium wars were a series of
conflicts mainly between China and Britain. The dispute was over the legalization of the Opium
trade. China's people were severely suffering from the effects of the Opium. Britain had been
illegally moving opium from India into China. A large mass of the public had become addicted to
opioids and the government sensed the problem. Due to the success of the opium trade, Britain
refused to stop bringing in the Opium. The conflict between the two countries sparked the two part
Opium Wars. The first Opium war resulted in many different unsteady treaties, many of which were
seen as unfair to the Chinese. The second Opium War was a result of British greed. The Chinese
were preoccupied with the Taiping Rebellion, so the British decided to take advantage of the
situation and push the opium trade further, resulting in further conflict. The French decided to join
the British in the fighting, and the Chinese were left defeated and forced into negotiations. Both
wars resulted in series of treaties, but each war's treaties had different impacts and affected people in
different ways. After the first Opium War, China had to give up a lot in order to bring peace with
Britain. A series of treaties were signed. The first treaty was signed in August of 1842 in Nanjing.
This treaty was known as the Treaty of Nanjing. There were many parts to this treaty, but there were
zero benefits to China. The

Opium War
Opium War
There were two Opium Wars. The first one was from 1839–1842. This war was fought between
China and Britain. This war was fought over the two not seeing eye to eye on a lot of things. The
second Opium War was from 1856–1860. In this war the British forces fought toward the
legalization of the Opium trade. The reason they did this was to be able to expand coolie trace, to be
able to open all of China to British merchants, and also to be able to expand foreign imports from
internat transit duties. This was when France then joined the British. In this essay we are going to
cover both of the Opium Wars.
The expansion of European imperialism in Asia was all economic. In the British market there was a
high demand for Chinese tea, also ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is always a good idea to learn about all of the wars that there have been in history so that we can
try and make sure that we do not repeat the same thing all over again. Reference
Asia for Educators. (n.d.). Excerpts from the treaty of Nanjing, August 1842. Retrieved from
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/china/nanjing.pdf
Getz, T.R., & Brooke, J.E. (2012). World history: The human experience from 1500. San Diego,
CA: Bridgepoint Education.
He, T. British Imperialism in China, A legacy of Commerce, Addiction, and Gunboat diplomacy.
Retrieved from http://blogs.bu.edu/guidedhistory/moderneurope/tao–he
MIT Visualizing Cultures. (2011). The first opium war: The Anglo–Chinese War of 1839–1842.
Retrieved from

Taking a Look at the Opium War
Documentary Essay
Throughout China, currency was rapidly changing. At first China used paper money, but silver was
the main form of payment. Silver was the main form of payment because it was easier to trade
among many different countries with it. Paper money was used for a while, but the worth of it didn't
last very long and so China returned to using silver. Europe, America and China all started using
silver for foreign trade. It was important for China to establish trading posts with Britain and
America because of the new cultural items being brought into the country for the foreign ones. One
reason for the success of silver taking over the main form of currency was the fact that large
amounts of silver had been available in America and in Britain, who hadn't started using silver as
currency yet. Once the Ming Dynasty ended, silver was still used, but mostly along the coast of
China. Trading will always be an extremely important part of society, whether it be among friends or
even countries, and it was the same in China. There was a lot of profit from foreign trade between
China, the Americas, and Britain because of the constant flow of silver in all three economies,
merchants were the ones to mostly be impacted by this. China was extremely strict when it came to
trading in the 19th century, so trading was only allowed in Guangzhou, which was in the southern
region of China. Even though trading was allowed in Guangzhou, there were still a lot of restrictions
on who

The Causes Of The Opium War
Opium Wars The Opium Wars lasted from 1839–1860 and had a major effect on world affairs. The
dispute between Britain and China escalated throughout the years. In the mid 19th centuries, the first
Opium War was fought between the forces of Britain and the Qing Dynasty. The first war began
because of what China and Britain did to each other to cause this war. The Chinese officials had shut
down the drug trafficking to China because it was becoming very addictive to the Chinese
population. There was a drug known as opium which was very addictive and grew in india. Britain
got the opium from india because . They were giving it to China because they wanted silver for
opium in exchange they were getting sliver. Today the drug known as opium back then it was know
as heroin. However recreational use was illegal and not widespread. Britain just did not stop and it
was becoming bad for the chinese and they got really mad. Britain began shipping ton of drug
without getting in trouble using the loopholes and out right smuggling to get around the ban. It
destroyed imperial China. China even arrested 1700 dealers and were surprised of how many drug
addict there were. British attack one of their merchants boat When the british were trading illegal
substance. china they had to destroy more than 1400 tons of drugs that were warehoused at canton
by British merchants. At this point china was getting very upset and something happen were a drunk
british man killed a chinese person and

The Opium Wars In China
My first choice is the Opium Wars. Throughout the beginning of major overseas exploration and
trade, China had remained with its doors closed to most foreigners. Tobacco was one product that
China did buy from Europeans in the seventeenth century (WTWA 4th ed. 588). Not long after,
opium was integrated into the cigarettes (notes. Nov. 26). In 1729, China banned the import of
Opium, but it continued to circulate in the Chinese society (WTW 4th ed. 588). In the early 19th
century, Britain was comfortable with selling drugs to China. This upset the Chinese, so they seized
and destroyed one of Britain's opium shipments. In turn, Britain wanted compensation and a war
broke out. This lead to the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing, in which the Chinese ... Show more
Confucius continues to be in my top 3 because of his outlook on education. It is important to me that
education is available to all, and Confucius' ideals parallel with that. On the other hand, neither the
Black Plague nor the World Pandemic are related to education, but they are both natural causes of
large scale deaths among the human race. I think it is important to note that wars are not the only
way that large groups of people are killed. It is also important to realize how these illnesses are
spread; trade does not only mean exchange of goods, but "bugs" as well. Therefore, I believe that
the Black Plague and the World Pandemic clearly represent the broader effects of travel and
interaction between different people. I have one final thought: if everyone was educated, (like
Confucius desired), maybe the spread of such viruses would not be as prevalent for people would
know more about such

The Importance Of The First Opium War In China
When India brought opium to China, India was put into a whole lot of trouble. Since opium is very
addictive, it was hard to stop using this product– just the same as using marijuana or tobacco. The
Chinese Emperor was furious with the British for getting a majority of the Chinese people hooked
onto opium, so this resulted in the Opium Wars. These wars were fought against Britain and China,
and became a big problem for the Chinese. The trade of opium was just as big as the tea trade– the
estimated amount of addicts was about 10 million. Foreign merchants were confronted and forced to
surrender because of these sales, but China could not keep the British out. Regardless of any rules
that were passed, people would still continue to buy and sell opium. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Since China's ships were very outdated, Britain had a new advance in technology with gunboats.
The Daoguang Emperor attempted to stop these sales, but suffered greatly from this. The Chinese
got demolished by the British– and because of this, and this loss led to the signing of the Treaty of
Nanjing.
This peace treaty was signed years after the first war took place. It stated that China had to give
away the island of Hong Kong. Now, keep in mind, the Chinese are already drastically failing. They
are hooked on opium and destroyed. Foreign rulers began to use this to their advantage, and claim
ports of their own. The British continued to take more and more land away from China, leaving
them broken and ashamed of what they have become. A decade later, the US Navy frightened the
Japanese by saying if they did not negotiate with them, then the same thing will happen in Japan that
happened in

Opium War Book Report
I thoroughly enjoyed the second part of the book that detailed the clash of the Eastern and Western
Worlds. It is interesting to see how the demand for a single commodity can cause a war. The Opium
Wars were a direct result of England's obsession over tea. In order to make a fair trade for tea
without losing any money, England began to trade opium for tea. As China's people became
addicted, the large demand for opium had to be address by the Chinese government. The
government's destruction and banning of opium cause a problem for England and so began the
Opium Wars. This was so interesting to me because China's current economic conditions could be
linked back to the restitutions and trading standards they were placed under centuries ago. It

Opium War Dbq Essay
The Opium War was a major part of China's history. There were many economic issues, (the high
cost of importing opium), political issues (disobedience of Chinese ban on opium imports) and
consequences of the British victory (Britain's greater power over China) that precipitated the Opium
war, but the British victory had the greatest impact on China because the extension of British power
reduced China's autonomy and made them more dependent on Europe. The high cost of importing
opium had major consequences that weakened the Chinese economy and was a leading cause for the
Opium War. Document A is a record of the British Imports and Exports at the Port of Canton. The
average price of imported opium was ten times greater than that of Cotton Yarn, the second highest
average price import. The combined total value of imported opium alone was over 16 million
Spanish dollars, while the total value of exported items was less than 23 million ... Show more
Documen F is a collection of excerpts from the Treaty of Nanking, which is the document that ended
the first Opium War. This document contains various benefits for the British such as the ceding of
Hong Kong and the payment of six million dollars for the deaths of British soldiers during the war.
This document expresses the actions of the British to extend further control over China by acquiring
from them a major port and a significant sum of money. The Treaty of Nanking is one of many
"unequal treaties" that the British employed to provide favorable conditions for themselves.
Document G is written by Feng Kuei–Fen and articulates his discontent of British power over
China. He finds it shameful that after the British victory, China had been unable to remove its
dependence on Western information. By stating that the Chinese people are unable to compete with
European innovations, he is justifying Britain's power over

Opium Wars British Imperialism
The Opium Wars –– two conflicts between the British and the Qing Dynasty that took place nearly
two decades apart. Although, the main goal of the conflicts remained consistent; British desire for
extraterritorial power through the trading of a restricted drug, and the Chinese Empire's refusal to
allow the British this power. The modern history of China commences with The Opium War, in
which China is often portrayed as a victim of western imperialism in Eastern Asia. This
interpretation of Chinese history is more similar to that of contemporary Chinese politics than the
reality of the conflict. The opposing side of the this argument states that British imperialism was
beneficial in opening up an enclosed xenophobic country. Similarly to the

opium war Essay
The Opium War was a war fought by two countries Great Britain and china in 1839. The war was
fought over the drug opium which was used by the Chinese for hundreds of year to relieve pain.
opium is a habit forming narcotic made from the poppy plant. In the late 1700's the British was
smuggling the drug into China for non–medical use. The navies of the two countries mostly fought
the battles of the opium war at sea. Within three years the Chinese's old ships were simply no
matches for the brand new British ships. In 1843 the Chinese and the British signed the treaty of
Nanjing. This treaty gave the British the island of Hong Kong. In 1844 the United States of America
and other countries gained extraterritorial rights. Which this ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
One of these positive results that occurred after the Opium war is the Spheres of Influence, which
was a region in which the foreign nations controlled trade and investment. The United States was
afraid that the spheres of influence would eventually grow larger and the foreign nations would take
China over and shut America out. In 1899 the United States proposed the Open Door Policy which
declared that all merchants of all nations where allowed to trade with china. Although this policy
sounded great for all nations China did not agree with the distribution of its country to every
European nation.
As there are positive results of the Opium War there are equally if not more negative results. One
negative result of the opium war was the Boxer Rebellion. This campaign was against Dowager
Empress's rule and foreigners. In 1900 the boxers went into Beijing killing all whom where
European. The Empress supported the boxers but did not back up her word when the boxers needed
military aid. In late 1900 20,000 troops marched into Beijing. Soldiers' form Great Britain, France,
Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia, Japan and the United States Quickly defeated the boxers. As seen
many people lost their lives because of the opium war.
AS seen there is many positive and negative aspects of the Opium War. Some of the positive results
of the war have brought goods that we might not have gotten if the war did not occur. The Boxer

Opium War Dbq Essay
To contextualize relevant to the political, social, and economic causes and effects of the first and
second opium wars during the modern period 1750–1900 CE, the rate of interconnectedness,
industrialization and global integration was rapidly increasing in the western hemisphere while the
eastern hemisphere, specifically China, was experiencing great misfortune. At this time there was a
significantly high demand for Chinese goods in Europe such as porcelain and chinese silk, but the
Chinese did not have a demand for goods in Europe. Since China accumulated most of the silver
from Europe there was an unbalanced distribution of silver, which caused the Europeans to start
selling opium to the Chinese in order to restore the flow of silver out of China. This resulted in the
first opium war in 1839– 1842, the major Civil war in 1850–1864, and second opium war in 1856–
1860 which horrendously affected China's economy, government, and social relations. The first
opium war negatively affected China politically because the Qing dynasty did not have a military
force that was not strong enough to defend ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Document 2 depicts the dramatic economic decline in China during the Taiping Rebellion. It
portrays the dramatic decline in Chinese economy after the year 1850 which started due to the
Chinese Christians who believed they were destined to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. Over twenty
million people were killed during this time which resulted in the G.D.P. dropping from around
twenty–seven percent in 1850 to eleven percent by 1900. Revolt against the Ch'ing (Manchu)
dynasty of China. It was led by Hung Hsiu–ch'üan, a visionary from Guangdong who evolved a
political creed and messianic religious ideology influenced by elements of Protestant Christianity.
The Taiping Rebellion was a large–scale anti–government rebellion that ravaged much of China.
Document 3

Opium War In China
However, there are some scholars arguing that the Opium War actually had nothing to do with the
opium. In their views, opium is merely an external excuse and the war was inevitably to happen
even if British sold other commodities to China. I have to admit that even without opium, there
would also be great tensions between Britain and China because of their irreconcilable cultural
conflicts in considering trade and commerce. However, great tensions did not mean that the war was
inevitable and opium, the last straw that breaks the camel's back, was the necessary catalyst to
trigger this war. First, scholar who thought the war was unrelated to the opium failed to recognized
the harms of opium–smoking: first and most well–known, opium–smoking could seriously
jeopardize the health of human body; second, the opium–smoking could increase the crimes and
damaged stability of the society; third and most important, opium–smoking deprived a man's ability
to work. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Second, those scholars failed to considered the economic factor of opium trade that played a core
role in my argument. China suffered great loss when its people "paid a high price for a commodity
which not only provided no utility, but brought enormous damage to health, morality, efficiency,
harmony and law and order" (Chung 171). The opium impoverished Chinese people, heightened
their suffering, degenerated Chinese society and made China extremely vulnerable before British
imperialism and later Japanese imperialism. Considering all of the factors above, it is no longer
reasonable to say the war was irrelevant to opium and ignore all opium's crimes and sins that
eventually compelled Chinese government to declare war against

Essay on Opium Wars in China
Opium Wars in China
The Opium Wars were a series of three wars between the Chinese and the British; primarily fought
in regard to the illegal trade of opium in China during the 19th century. They manifested the
conflicting natures of both nations and demonstrated China's misconceptions of its own superiority.
The Opium Wars resulted in the humiliating defeat of the Chinese to a country they considered to be
"barbarians".
There were many problems with the system of trade in China; even before opium trading began.
China, believing herself to be the most civilized and advanced country, did not feel the need to
satisfy Britain, a "barbarian" country's request for freer trade and were concerned the British wanted
land. Britain however, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This situation displeased the British, as there was a steady flow of silver leaving Britain.
British attempts for renewed trade conditions were not met favourably by the Emperor. Firstly, due
to China's self–superiority it was assumed the visiting diplomats were paying tribute. Further
complications arose with British refusal to comply with Chinese customs e.g. performing the
kowtow before the Emperor. These actions caused misunderstandings and misinterpretations, which
set the basis of British–Chinese relations and attitudes.
During the 18th century, the British began trading opium to the Chinese. They had finally found a
commodity the Chinese were willing to buy. Opium was an illicit drug with addictive properties. As
demand on opium increased, the British traders made huge profits and the trade imbalance was
reversed. There was now a steady flow of silver leaving China. In 1796, the Ch'ing government
banned the importation of opium. This did not stop the British, who continued the trade illegally. As
well, extensive corruption amongst Chinese officials allowed the opium trade to flourish.
In 1838, the Ch'ing government began to take the illegal opium trade more seriously as they noted
the debilitating effect opium smoking was having on its people. Commissioner Lin was appointed
by the Emperor to stop the illegal importation of opium. Lin

First Opium War Research Paper
Good morning class and Mrs Bennett. The Hypothesis for this topic is that the First Opium War
caused problems in society because the criminal rate increased, as well as the local consumption of
the drug. This presentation will be discussing mainly what opium is, what the first opium war was,
and why it started. The Opium War was a battle in China that occurred during the mid 19th century.
This war was between western countries, such as Britain, and the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China
between 1644 and 1911.
The First Opium War was conducted from 1839 to 1842, and was between China and Britain. The
reasoning for the war occurring was caused by China's attempts to withhold the Opium trade. It was
over diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of foreign nationals in China. Opium was
illegally being imported into China, through India, by the British. They grew the opium on their
plantations in India. At first, the British were addicted to stimulating Chinese tea. Trade imbalance
occurred due to the Chinese buying few European products and demanding Gold or Silver in return.
The reverse flow of Silver and the increasing number of opium addicts alarmed Chinese officials,
and resulted in over 20,000 chests of opium to be confiscated. As opium was being imported into
china, it caused unrest in society, the local consumption to increase, and the decrease in the price of
the drug. Being a stimulant drug, Opium spread throughout the country, badly affecting its nation. ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The first opium war was between Britain and China, which at the time was under the influence of
the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 to 1911. Opium was being illegally exported into
China via corrupt Chinese officers and traders that were payed off by the

British Responsibility For The Opium War
British Responsibility for the Opium War
The outcome of the Opium War marked a new age of western imperialism, effectively forcing
China's doors open to the West. How did such a war come about in the first place? At the heart of
the conflict lay incompatible market ideologies: China's interests were in maintaining their
traditional tributary system and suppressing the opium trade, while the British desired free trade and
diplomatic equality. In a complex storyline filled with misunderstandings and failed negotiations,
the events leading up to the war show how in the end, by failing to adequately compensate for the
destructive effects of the opium trade, Great Britain was responsible for the start of the Opium War.
To begin with, the opium trade took a direct hit to China's prosperity, which set the stage for future
tensions. Before the illegal industry was well–established in the early 19th century, China benefited
from trade with Great Britain, selling a steadily increasing amount of tea in exchange for precious
silver. However, in the late eighteenth century, the British managed to reverse this trade balance by
exporting opium instead of silver. By the mid–1820s, China's silver was rapidly flowing out of
China to keep up with the insatiable demand for opium. The outflow of silver caused the price to
rise eighty percent between 1800–1830, placing a heavy burden on farmers, whose taxes were
assessed in the precious metal.
Not only was China losing the basis of its monetary

Causes Of The Opium Wars
The Opium Wars were a series of conflicts that eventually led to China's decline through the trade
and abuse of the drug opium. The first of the Opium Wars (1839–42) was fought between China and
Britain, and the second war (1856–1860) involved France as well. In both wars, the foreign powers
triumphed over China, causing havoc, causing the fall of the Qing dynasty. Prior to the Opium Wars,
China was full of rich culture, remarkable goods, and useful inventions. They had invented
gunpowder, kites, and porcelain, all of which were in demand. The Qing dynasty had believed that
they were superior to other countries, and refused to let any foreigners access any Chinese territory.
There was only one area where trade was permitted, and it was ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The amount of people using the drug soon increased as well due to the large amount of opium that
soon became available throughout the country. The addictive nature also began to cause people to
want, or even need, more and more of the drug, ensuring that it would be a continuous market for
Britain. The amount of addicts skyrocketed to 12 million at one point, which soon led to a ban on
the drug by Lin Zexu, commissioner of China. Zexu arrested dealers, seized crates of the drug, and
then dumped 2.6 million pounds of it into the ocean. This was another cause for the opium war, as
his actions angered British traders who were not able to get compensation from the British
government. Overall, China's strict trading techniques, in addition to the way they responded to the
problem was one of the main causes of the opium wars. Another main cause for the opium wars was
China's unfair trade superiority. Prior to the opium wars, China was the leading trade nation for the
world, with its long distance trade reaching many different area of the world, such as Southern Asia,
the Middle East, and even Europe. China had the most commercial ships out of anybody in the
world up to the 19th century, which helped expand its already large economy. China's goods were in
high demand, as they had paper, firearms, tool, silk, tea, porcelain, and much more, making them the
world's superpower for trade. By only accepting silver for these items, China began to have

How Did The Opium Wars Affect China
The Opium wars affected China in many positive and negative ways which ultimately led to further
violent uprising and rebellions such as the Boxer Rebellion and the Xinhai Revolution. The 1st
Opium war was fought between China and Britain and the second between China and Britain allied
with France (Robert, 2003). The wars were fought because of China's refusal to enter the family of
nations on a basis of equal trade and equality in diplomatic relations which meant that Britain
decided to use force instead. This war (which was won by the British) lead to the treaty of Nanjing
which conclusively led to the loss of the Chinese emperor's dignity and respect (Fairbank, 1987).
The Opium wars negatively and positively impacted China's political, cultural and economic aspects
of life on the short term and the long term. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many ports were opened throughout China for Britain to trade and maintain a residence for them
including Shangi, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo and Guangzhou and that Hong Kong would be given up
Great Britain because of these treaties (Roberts, 2003). All foreigners and Chinese citizens that lived
with them were completely immune to the law (Llanes, 2017). These negotiations allowed Britain to
trade more freely with China and establish colonies within China. Furthermore, since foreigners and
Chinese people living with them were immune to the law China became filled with crime and
permitted Britain to set up spy networks throughout China. Although China suffered major negative
political impacts from the opium wars the list only continues when you look at the impacts on
China's

Opium Wars: The Trade Disputes over Opium between China...
Introduction
"Opium entered China on the back of a camel, and ended up breaking the back of an entire nation" –
Unknown
This paper studies the trade disputes over opium between China and Britain and the two wars that
resulted from these disputes in the 19th century. The focus of this paper will primarily be British
actions in the years leading up to the Wars, the Wars themselves, and the aftermath of the Wars. The
first war was fought between 1839 and 1842, while the second was fought from 1856 to 1860. The
trade of opium to the Chinese served as a major economic boon for the British nation and this boon,
in spite being a serious detriment to China and despite moral aversion to its use, was enough
incentive to wage war.
The essay begins with an outline of the Chinese culture and way of thinking during this time period.
A historical understanding of the people and government will serve to better illuminate the social
and political landscape of the era.
The outline is followed by a discussion of the developing tensions between the Chinese Imperialists
and Britain. Understanding the how and why the conflict developed will help readers to understand
the reasons behind the War.
The growing tensions between the British and Chinese governments led to the First Opium War. The
essay will discuss the key events and causations leading up to this conflict and discuss how it
effectively stopped the Chinese government's interference with the trade but did not legalize it
within

The Opium Wars

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