Opium War Dbq Essay

The Opium War was a direct motivation for the Boxers. In the late 1700s, China was a major economic power. They produced good like tea, porcelain, and silk that Europeans fervently desired. However, China was self-sufficient and Europe had nothing of interest for trade. Therefore, China was largely isolationist, trading only with the Dutch. In retaliation, England began trading opium, which many Chinese quickly became addicted to. China was decimated by opium, as people abandoned their work and families for opium dens. Document 32 discusses Chinese values of hard work and loyalty to family were abandoned, and people deserted their work. (Document 2) All the while, England encouraged the spread of opium because Chinese trade for it only made …show more content…
To the Boxers, this was a great offense. Not only was their economy devastated, they saw their way of life being undermined. Subsequently, they tried to remove all foreigners and Christian converts from China. Document 8 goes into more detail about what the Boxers saw as Westernization. They did not want foreign missionaries, railroad, and foreign engineers. Document 3 builds on Document 8 by explaining why they hated foreign missionaries. Missionaries actively advertised the American way of life, and went against what the Chinese traditionally believed in. Foreigners at the time period did not have to obey Chinese law- they were protected which under the concept of “extraterritorial rights” which meant they could go back to their foreign country if they committed a crime instead of being tried in China. Document 2 also connects to Document 3 by explaining how American missionaries saw American products and lifestyle as superior to China’s. Documents 4 and 5 are written by Westerners or Western sympathizers, and are biased against the Boxers, describing them as “evil” “horrible”committing “indiscriminate pillaging”, showing how quickly foreigners labeled Chinese as animal-like and inferior. When word got to the West, diplomacy wasn’t considered. We need a document such as a journal entry or personal narrative written by an actual Boxer.

Show More

Related Documents: Opium War Dbq Essay

Dbq Essay On Imperialism