Glencoe World History

"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.