How Did Power Balances Shift in the Pacific from 1793-1870s? Why?
Colonize or Be Colonized
As the colonies of the Unites States of America were establishing a new nation, independent of British control, another region of the world was just starting to taste European influence: the Pacific. Unlike the United States, where Britain exercised complete dominance for quite some time, the powers in the Pacific shifted among various countries and regions. These shifts in power were most evident starting around 1793 and throughout most of the 19th century when European empires gradually began to expand into Far East territories in hopes of strengthening their economies off of maritime trade and establishing colonies to accommodate growing populations. Eighteenth century China saw itself under the rule of its last imperial dynasty, the Qing Dynasty. The Chinese economy was stable and independent of foreign influence. The Qianlong Emperor, who ruled from 1735-1796, was quite successful in avoiding trade and diplomacy with the West. However, the turn of the century marked a large expansion of European powers into the Pacific and countries that were eager to set up trading routes and colonies in Asia, namely Britain, started to look toward the dominant and unsettled Chinese empire. The Chinese government did not believe trade was important and they resented Western merchants and goods. On the contrary, international conquerors, such as Britain, viewed maritime trading as the fundamental strategy to sustaining and expanding their economy. After losing the American Colonies, Britain began a new phase of imperialism referred to as the Second Empire, most of which was established in the Pacific. A significant event in this period of British expansionism was in 1793 with the Macartney Embassy, which was a major attempt by Britain to establish a relaxed trade with China. Britain sent a delegation to China under the command of Lord George Macartney with purposes among opening trading ports in the northern cities and allowing
As the colonies of the Unites States of America were establishing a new nation, independent of British control, another region of the world was just starting to taste European influence: the Pacific. Unlike the United States, where Britain exercised complete dominance for quite some time, the powers in the Pacific shifted among various countries and regions. These shifts in power were most evident starting around 1793 and throughout most of the 19th century when European empires gradually began to expand into Far East territories in hopes of strengthening their economies off of maritime trade and establishing colonies to accommodate growing populations. Eighteenth century China saw itself under the rule of its last imperial dynasty, the Qing Dynasty. The Chinese economy was stable and independent of foreign influence. The Qianlong Emperor, who ruled from 1735-1796, was quite successful in avoiding trade and diplomacy with the West. However, the turn of the century marked a large expansion of European powers into the Pacific and countries that were eager to set up trading routes and colonies in Asia, namely Britain, started to look toward the dominant and unsettled Chinese empire. The Chinese government did not believe trade was important and they resented Western merchants and goods. On the contrary, international conquerors, such as Britain, viewed maritime trading as the fundamental strategy to sustaining and expanding their economy. After losing the American Colonies, Britain began a new phase of imperialism referred to as the Second Empire, most of which was established in the Pacific. A significant event in this period of British expansionism was in 1793 with the Macartney Embassy, which was a major attempt by Britain to establish a relaxed trade with China. Britain sent a delegation to China under the command of Lord George Macartney with purposes among opening trading ports in the northern cities and allowing
Bibliography: Columbia University , "The Qianlong Emperor’s Edict on the Occasion of Lord Macartney’s Mission to China." Last modified 2009. Accessed February 19, 2013. http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/modern/tch_mcem.htm Fukuzawa, Yukichi Melville , Herman . Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life. New York, NY: Penguin Group, Inc., 1996. O’Brien, Patricia. “Lectures.” Georgetown University, January 15- February 12, 2013. Perry, Matthew Calbraith. The Japan Expedition, 1852-1854; The Personal Journal of Commodore Matthew C. Perry. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1968. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. Patricia O’Brien, “Lecture” (Georgetown University, January 15- February 12, 2013). [ 10 ]. Fukuzawa, Yukichi, An Encouragement of Learning, (Tokyo: Sophia University, 1969), 95.