The document summarizes China's rejection of trade with the West in the late 18th century due to its self-sufficiency. It then discusses how the British pushed the sale of opium in China, leading to the Opium Wars and Britain gaining control of Hong Kong. Overpopulation and food shortages contributed to rebellions against the Qing dynasty. Despite reform attempts, foreign powers maintained growing control over China through the late 19th century, culminating in the Boxer Rebellion.

1. In 1793, the Qing Emperor (Qianlong, above left)
received an ambassador (Lord George McCartney, right)
from Great Britain, but rejects the importation of goods
from the British saying they were no interested in the
“strange objects” offered from the West.

2.  China rejected offers of trade from the West
because it was largely self-sufficient in the
ways:
◦ Agriculture
 Quick-growing strain of rice since the 11th century
 Maize, sweet potatoes, and peanuts since 17th/18th
centuries
◦ Natural Resources
 Salt, tin, silver, and iron
◦ Manufacturing
 Silks, high-quality cottons, fine porcelain

3.  Foreigners were only allowed
to trade at the southern port
of Guangzhou.
 Trade balance was in China’s
favor.
 European merchants decide
to sell the habit-forming drug
opium (a narcotic derived
from the opium poppy plant)
in China to obtain a favorable
trade balance.
 By 1835, as many as
12million Chinese were
addicted

4.  The Qing emperor was angry about the drug
trade coming from the British.
 In 1839 the Emperor’s advisor writes a letter
to Queen Victoria demanding the drug trade
stop.
 The Opium War breaks out between Britain
and China in 1839, but is fought mainly at
sea.
 The Chinese are no match for Britain’s
steam-powered gun boats.
 The Treaty of Nanjing is signed in 1842.

5.  British get Hong Kong

6.  The British enjoyed extraterritorial rights,
which meant that British citizens were not
subject to Chinese laws, but, if accused of a
crime in Chinese trading ports, but would
only be tried by British courts.
 In 1844 the U.S. signed a the Treaty of
Wanghia in which American citizens were
given extraterritorial rights as well.
 This arrangement protected Europeans and
Americans from prosecution for drug
smuggling.

7.  Population grew to 430 million by 1850, a 30
percent increase in 60 years.
 Food production did not keep up with this
increase.
 Discouragement increased opium addiction
 Chinese began to rebel against the Qing
Dynasty

8.  Hong Xiuquan began recruiting followers to help him
build a “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace.”
 Hong referred to himself as the “brother of Jesus”
(fact from AP textbook).
 His movement was called the Taiping Rebellion.
 By 1850s, Hong organized a massive peasant army
and took control over large areas of southeastern
China.
 1853 Hong captured Nanjing and made it his capital.
 Qing imperial troops and British and French forces all
launched attacks against the Taiping government.
 By 1864 the rebellion was put down, but at least 20
million people died in the rebellion.

9.  Chinese government has both internal and
external pressures.
◦ Internal
 Taiping Rebellion
 Other rebellions
◦ External
 Pressure from foreign powers was increasing
 Debates emerged in the Qing court
◦ Some leaders wanted to reform and modernize
according to Western ways.
◦ Some clung to traditional Chinese ways

10.  Dowager Empress Cixi
held power in China from
1862-1908.
 She was committed to
Chinese traditional values.
 She backed some attempts
at reform like the “Self-
Strengthening Movement”
which wanted to update
China’s educational
system, diplomatic service,
and military.
 The movement had mixed
results.

11.  Foreign nations attack China and
through treaties gain more
control over China’s economy.
 Many of Europe’s major powers
and Japan gain spheres of
influence—areas in which the
foreign nation controlled trade
and investment.
 The U.S., having no sphere of
influence, declared its Open
Door Policy demanding free
trade for all nations in China.
 Britain and other European
nations agree to this demand.

13.  1898, Emperor Guangxu
introduced measures to
modernize China’s
educational system,
economy, military, and
government
 Qing officials saw these
innovations as a threat and
called on the Dowager
Empress to act.
 She has Guangxu arrested
and reverses his reforms.
Emperor Guangxu (center)

14.  Resentful of the privileges of
foreigners, a secret organization
called the Society of Righteous and
Harmonious Fists is formed.
 They are called the “Boxers” for
short.
 The carry out a campaign against
foreigners known as the Boxer
Rebellion.
 1900—the Boxers descend on
Beijing and surround the European
section of the city.
 The Dowager Empress expressed
support for the Boxers, but did not
back them militarily.
 The Boxers murder Europeans,
missionary, and diplomats, as well
as many Chinese Christians, both
Protestant and Catholic.
The Boxers, by Johannes
Koekkoek, circa 1900

15.  August 1900—a
multinational force of
19,000 troops marches
on Beijing and defeats
the Boxers.
 Though the Boxer
Rebellion failed to
expel foreign
influence, the Chinese
have a renewed sense
of nationalism and
realization they must
resist foreign
influence.
A Boxer during the revolt.

16.  This is the name given to the
182 Protestant Missionaries (of
several denominations) and
500 Chinese Protestants who
were murdered during the
Boxer Rebellion.
 In 1901, allied nations who
helped put down the rebellion
demanded compensation for
loss of life and property, but
China Inland Mission founder
James Hudson Taylor refused to
accept any such payment for
the loss of his missionaries or
mission property “in order to
show the meekness of Christ to
the Chinese.”
Missionaries killed in the Boxer
Rebellion who worked for China
Inland Mission.
James Hudson
Taylor-
Founder of
China Inland
Mission

17.  Both the Roman
Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox Churches
recognize Chinese
citizens killed in the
19th and 20th
centuries, most of
whom were killed in
the Boxer Rebellion.
These martyrs are
formally venerated by
those churches.

18.  1905 Dowager Empress sends out a delegation to
study the operation of different governments.
 1906 officials recommend China’s government be
restructured.
 A constitutional monarchy was suggested.
 A national assembly was convened within a year,
but change was slow.
 In 1908 the court promised a constitutional
government by 1917.
 China would continue to have unrest for the next
four decades.