DBQ: Opium in China
DBQ: Opium in China
While most of the Western Hemisphere was undergoing drastic advancements, such as former colonies gaining their independence and transforming into more modernized nations, a lot of mishaps were occurring in the Eastern Hemisphere—China, specifically—a nation that was notorious for its isolation from foreign influences. European nations began to greedily eye China’s abundance of desirable resources, such as tea, porcelain, and silk. However, China had very little need or desire for European goods. In an attempt to resolve the trade imbalance Britain began importing opium into China, which would prove to be disastrous for the Chinese population. The dispute over the importation of the drug eventually led to the Opium War, beginning in 1839. While several Chinese goods were in high demand, the market for Western goods in China was virtually non-existent, in part because China was very self-sufficient and their trade laws denied foreigners access to China’s interior. Only one port in China was open to foreign trade and the Chinese emperor had placed a ban on the trade of most European goods. Gold and silver were the only accepted forms of payment. China’s utter lack of interest in any European goods is clearly expressed in a Chinese emperor’s letter to King George of England, written in 1793. In it, he explains to the King that their country has allowed all European nations to carry on their trade with the people of China at Canton, the only open port, for many years despite the fact that the “Celestial Empire possesses all things in prolific abundance and lack no product within it borders…there was therefore no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians in exchange for our own produce.” However, he allows the trade to continue, simply out of kindness, so that the Europeans could obtain the Chinese goods that they wanted (Document 1).
The trade imbalance caused a shortage of silver in Europe, which in turn became a hindrance to
While most of the Western Hemisphere was undergoing drastic advancements, such as former colonies gaining their independence and transforming into more modernized nations, a lot of mishaps were occurring in the Eastern Hemisphere—China, specifically—a nation that was notorious for its isolation from foreign influences. European nations began to greedily eye China’s abundance of desirable resources, such as tea, porcelain, and silk. However, China had very little need or desire for European goods. In an attempt to resolve the trade imbalance Britain began importing opium into China, which would prove to be disastrous for the Chinese population. The dispute over the importation of the drug eventually led to the Opium War, beginning in 1839. While several Chinese goods were in high demand, the market for Western goods in China was virtually non-existent, in part because China was very self-sufficient and their trade laws denied foreigners access to China’s interior. Only one port in China was open to foreign trade and the Chinese emperor had placed a ban on the trade of most European goods. Gold and silver were the only accepted forms of payment. China’s utter lack of interest in any European goods is clearly expressed in a Chinese emperor’s letter to King George of England, written in 1793. In it, he explains to the King that their country has allowed all European nations to carry on their trade with the people of China at Canton, the only open port, for many years despite the fact that the “Celestial Empire possesses all things in prolific abundance and lack no product within it borders…there was therefore no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians in exchange for our own produce.” However, he allows the trade to continue, simply out of kindness, so that the Europeans could obtain the Chinese goods that they wanted (Document 1).
The trade imbalance caused a shortage of silver in Europe, which in turn became a hindrance to