I can analyze a secondary source about Imperialism in China to understand the causes and effects of events such as the Taiping Rebellion and the Boxer Uprising

 For years, Chinese regulations had ensured favorable trade relations A strong balance with other nations Limited where, when, and how much European merchants could trade  China traded porcelain, tea and silk for gold, and silver Trade surplus!  Europeans had a trade deficit Buying more than they sold

 By late 1700s, changes impacted this trade relationship China entered a period of decline Europe gained power due to the Industrial Revolution  British merchants also began selling the drug opium to Chinese Caused silver to flow out of China. Disrupting the economy.

 Outlawed opium and executed drug dealers  Britain did not stop selling opium Said they had right to free trade  Result of these actions was the Opium War in 1839! Chinese warships were no match for Britain gunships, Britain won a victory

 Chinese forced to sign Treaty of Nanjing Chinese had to pay Britain for their losses in the war Forced to grant British subjects in China the right to be protected by British, not Chinese laws.  A second war resulted in China being forced to open all ports to Christian missionaries.

 Peasants revolted against the Qing Dynasty Causes:  government of China didn’t maintain irrigation systems, which led to massive flooding  Peasants had to pay heavy taxes while the imperial court lived lavishly Results:  Imperial forces put down the rebellion  million people died

 Results of Taiping Rebellion led to debate about need to reform Chinese leaders saw no need to adopt Western industry. Feared western technology as disruptive Scholars thought Western ideas of individual choice contradicted Confucian tradition.

 Reformers in the 1860s began the “self- strengthening movement,” translating Western works and developing Western-style industries  In the late 1800s, Empress Ci Xi gained power She opposed change and was committed to Confucian tradition

 While China debated, Japan adopted Western technologies  Japan joined the competition to create an empire in China. led to the Sino-Japanese War China lost the island of Taiwan to Japan

 China’s loss showed their weakness  European powers moved in to demand concessions Concessions: special economic rights given to a foreign power  Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan carved out separate spheres of influence in China.

 Reformers in China blamed conservatives for China’s failure to look ahead  Young emperor Guang Xu launched the “Hundred Days of Reform” in 1898 He sought to modernize the bureaucracy, the military, schools, and industry  But Empress Ci Xi and the conservatives retook control, executed Guang Xu, and halted reform

 In 1900, a secret society, The Righteous Harmonious Fists formed launched an attempt to drive the “foreign devils” out of China  Boxer Uprising attacked foreigners all across China Western powers joined forces to defeat the Boxers

 Results: Forced to grant concessions to foreigners Conservatives began to recognize the need for reform Schools stressed science and mathematics instead of Confucian thought  Women could attend China began to expand economically and a new business class emerged Chinese nationalism spread