Opium Wars: Great Britain vs. China

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Opium Wars Great Britain vs. China
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What caused the Wars?
Early 17th century England was rapidly growing a
taste for tea which was imported from China
England however had nothing to trade with China
Quing dynasty made it illegal to pay for export
goods in anything but silver
To solve the problem England turned India in to
poppy fields which could be reaped for Opium for
illegal sale to the Chinese
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Chinas Response
The Chinese dynasty was against opium consumption
and had made it illegal to possess since 1729
In 1839 the Chinese Dynasty legislated that the
import of opium would be punishable by death
by that time 2 million Chinese were users of
Indian opium
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Great Britains Response
British ignore Chinas rules and elude Chinas
navy to sell it
When China began taking opium shipments, Queen
Victoria sent in the Royal Navy to bomb Chinese
ports and vessels
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Let the Wars Begin
1st opium war 1842 China signed the Treaty of
Nanking
Chinese government pays Britain six million
silver dollars for lost opium
Opium still illegal and black market trade grows
2nd opium war in 1856 lasted for two years and
ended with the humiliating Treaty of Tientsin
legalized opium in China
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Conclusions
1.) Fall of the last Chinese dynasty and the rise
of the Communist party
2.) China is broken into different spheres of
influence
3.) Boxer Rebellion and Taiping Rebellion
attempts to rid China of foreign dominance
4.) By 1906, China was producing 35,000 tons of
opium per year 76 of global opium production
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Opium War Documentary

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vSuMmvqB9mm0

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Homework
1.)
China
2.)
Opium Wars
India
Britain
1.) Summarize the picture and how it relates to
Britains trade with China. 2.) Explain how/why
the Opium trade involve all 3 locations