Glencoe World History New York Edition

"The Opium Wars and Beyond"

Introduction
The Opium Wars were the beginning of a period of repeated Western intervention in Chinese affairs. Western intervention created a sense of humiliation as well as a hunger for both reform and revolution. In this activity you will read about the Opium Wars and develop a timeline of the major events in Chinese history.

Destination Title: Ch'ing China: The Opium Wars

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Directions

Start at the Ch'ing China Web site.

• Read the article, taking notes as you read.

1.		Who was Lin Tse-hsü?
2.		What was the major British grievance against China?
3.		What was the fundamental demand of the Treaty of Nanking?
4.		What humiliating conditions was China later required to accept?
5.		Go back to the "Content" pages and click on and read the sections on the Taiping Rebellion, "Self-Strengthening," the One Hundred Days of Reform, and the Boxer Rebellion. On a separate piece of paper, create a timeline containing the 10 most significant events of Chinese history from 1830 to 1910. In your timeline, include a one-sentence description of each event. Be prepared to defend your choices for the 10 most important events in a classroom discussion.