Opium Wars History and Facts

Opium Wars History and Facts

learn about the Opium Wars History and Facts of Ancient China including what caused the wars, results, who was involved, and facts

What are the opium wars?

The two small-scale conflicts known as the Opium Wars were principally sparked by the opium trade in China and included Great Britain and China. They happened at the middle of the 1800s, just as the Qing Dynasty was coming to an end. According to some historians, China’s modern age began with the Opium Wars.

Opium Wars History and Facts

What caused the wars?

China supplied a wide range of products, such as tea, silk, and porcelain, to European nations at the end of the Qing Dynasty. It didn’t import numerous items at the same period. China generally kept to itself and only let specific ports to be used by international traders.

British merchants working for the British East India Company began bringing opium into China in order to open up a new market. Opium, a highly addictive substance, was once forbidden in China. However, as more Chinese developed opium addictions, British businessmen started to profit greatly from exporting opium to China.

Opium was not wanted in China by the Chinese authorities. Too many people were developing drug addictions. They made the decision to stop the illicit opium trade in 1839. They first wrote to the British government to request that they put an end to the traders. The Chinese took over 20,000 chests of opium from British traders after they kept selling the drug. The First Opium War soon started when fighting between the two sides broke out.

First Opium War

The First Opium War lasted over three years from March 18, 1839 to August 29, 1842. The British Navy moved in and easily defeated the outdated Chinese Naval forces. They took control of the trade port Canton and reopened the opium trade. They then moved to occupy several cities along the coast of China and blockaded the Grand Canal. By 1842, the Chinese saw that they were losing the war and were ready to negotiate.

Results

After winning the war, the British forced the Chinese to sign the Treaty of Nanking. The treaty reestablished trade between the countries and opened up five trade ports to Britain. It also forced China to pay $21 million in reparations and gave Britain control of the city of Hong Kong.

Second Opium War

The Second Opium War lasted from 1856 to 1860. The French joined the British in this war against China. The war began when the British placed additional demands on the Chinese including legalizing the opium trade and opening all of China for trade with British companies. When the Chinese government refused, tensions increased between the two countries.

Fighting began when the Chinese seized a British pirate ship called Arrow. The British said the Chinese had no right to seize the ship and used the incident for an excuse to attack Canton. The French soon joined in the fighting when a French missionary was executed by Chinese authorities.

The British once again took control of Canton. Fighting continued on and off for the next four years. In 1860, British and French forces approached Beijing and defeated the Qing army.

Results

At the Convention of Peking in 1860, the Chinese agreed to sign a treaty with Britain and France. The treaty legalized the opium trade, established freedom of religion in China, forced China to pay France and Britain reparations, and opened a new trade port.

Facts and History about the Opium Wars  

• Russia gained land from China as a result of the Second Opium War.
• The United States became involved in the Second Opium war after the Chinese attacked a U.S. Navy officer.
• The Second Opium War is sometimes called the Arrow War after the pirate ship the Chinese seized.
• Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.

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