2. Trade with China
1700-1830
• Through the 1700s, Chinese silk, tea, cotton,
and porcelain were highly prized in Europe.
They were expensive and in short supply.
• Merchants from Britain, Italy, Portugal, and
the Netherlands tried to expand trade with
China, but the Chinese emperors weren’t
interested.
• The Qing emperors didn’t want to develop
trade because they had urgent problems at
home. Years of peace and prosperity had led
to major population growth and food
shortages. Plus, they were very stubborn,
conservative, and remote.
• As a result, there were uprisings and protests,
often organized by those with political wishes.
• By 1800, life was oppressive for many
Chinese, and opium had become an escape
from the high taxes.
3. The Opium Trade
• Opium is a illegal drug made of the latex of opium poppy.
• Europeans traded with Chinese to get the valuable Chinese goods. In return,
the illegal Chinese traders would receive opium.
• The Chinese liked opium because it gave them “an escape.” From beginning
opium, people were said to draw ecstasy, soldiers to draw courage, and other
bliss. From starting the drug, people get quickly addicted and would die
immediately if they stopped using it.
4. The Age of Logic
1700-1789
• In 1700-1789, people began to look at the world through logic and science
instead of superstitions and religion. The period can also be called the Age of
Reason or the Enlightenment.
• Taken to extreme, the Enlightenment resulted in Atheism. Enlightenment
thinkers reduced religion to those essentials which could only be “rationally”
defended. For example, simple moral beliefs and some universal beliefs about
God. Aside from this, religion was banished over the globe.
• The Age of Logic/ Reason resulted in the questioning of churches and beliefs
almost no one had questioned before.
6. Africa 1700-1830
• During the 1700s, Africa was pretty peaceful. An average of 35,000 slaves each year were being
sent from western Africa to the Americas. By the end of the century, the British had second
thoughts and established Sierra Leone as a refuge for freed slaves. Most European countries
stopped trading and using slaves, but Portugal continued until 1882.
• Ashanti and Oyo had dominate the slave trades, into the 1800s, so they began to trade ivory,
hides, gold, timber, and beeswax instead.
• The Zulu nation in southern Africa fought constantly with its neighbors. The bloodshed level was
so high that 1818-1828 was known as mfecane or the time of troubles.
• Africa was changing quickly. Most of it still belonged to Africans, but they weren’t united against
their common threats, the Arabs and the Europeans. This made them quite vulnerable.
7. Modernizing Russia
1730-1796
• Catherine the Great was a ruthless ruler and Russia was drained of young
men and wealth in taxes to support her wars and ravish lifestyle. She planned
to improve social conditions and education, but there were few educated
officials to carry out these plans. So she asked nobilities to help, and gave
them more powers. Thus making the peasant life situation even worse.
• Her claim to greatness came from her expansion of Russian lands. Russia
seized lands from Sweden and Azov, to Poland and the Black Sea.
• Catherine was very cruel, however. Courtiers were flogged and peasants who
dared to complain about their lifestyle were punished. Many poor people
faced starvation, but Catherine continued to live an extravagant life and
collect hard taxes for wars.
