Opium War as a Turning Point in World History essays

Opium War as a Turning Point in World History essays For hundreds of years before the nineteenth century, Westerners had been trying to gain a strong economic foothold in China. However, they were limited to one small, designated commercial outlet in Canton. The British were not satisfied with these arrangements and they yearned to reach a larger crowd. Despite negotiations with China through those such as Lord Macartney and Lord Almherst, new arrangements could not be made. The Chinese, who already had a self-sufficient economy, did not want their culture to be tainted by Westernization. In the 1800s, the British devised a scheme to commercialize in China. They would use opium, a highly addictive narcotic that produces a rush of euphoria followed by an intense dreamy state. Opium was grown in northeastern India, which was controlled by the British East India Company at the time, and sent to China, where it had been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Although the Chinese had officially prohibited the use of opium, the drug was in high demand and the British, who were known was leaders in the drug trade, wasted no time marketing and profiting from this lucrative venture. The Chinese, unfortunately, gradually became unable to balance their trade of tea and silk for opium and turned to smuggling. In 1839, Lin Zexu was appointed by the Chinese government to help stop the Opium Trade. He tried to appeal to Britains Queen Victoria through morals and practical grounds, but the British refused to hear him stating that if the Chinese didnt want the opium they wouldnt buy it. He even threatened to stop the trade of rhubarb, which Europeans used as a laxative. After negotiations with Queen Victoria failed, Lin Zexu began to impose penalties upon smokers, arrest dealers, and seize supplies from drug traffickers. Unluckily, when he tried to blockade the foreign factory area in Canton, the British retaliated and launched a naval attack that began the Opiu...