Opium Wars- Imperialism in China

Opium is a highly-addictive drug given to the Chinese. It was grown in the East Indies. The British traded Opium to the Chinese for tea. It was used for medicine but the Chinese got addicted to it. In 1838, the Chinese government told the british to not to trade anymore opium because it was highly addictive. In 1840, the Chinese went into war with the British but the British won becaue they had better weapons and more technology. So it was called the Opium Wars because the British and the Chinese were fighting over wheather or not to keep trading opium. Chinese were forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing, which allows the British to trade in ports around China, including Hong Kong. In 1843, they signed the Treaty of the Bogue. It states that the Chinese were responsible for destroying quantities of opium in the sea during an anti-opium campaign. Unfourtunately, in 1856, the Second Opium War began due to an argument over the treaties. Once again, the British won and made the Chinese sign the Treaty of Tianjin, which opens up 11 additional ports in China.

Film Lesson: "Mountains of the Moon"

They had to go through different areas that they did know about. They had to face different tribes attacks or had to try to make peace. They also had to worry about diseases like maleria and contaminated water. The source of the Nile, Lake Victoria, was named after the British Queen because they decided to name it that way since they discovered it. Europeans had technological advanteges becauyse they had guns and evetually had a cure to maleria. The europeans were able to go through Africa easily because they eventually had machine guns that could fire bullets in a fast rate. The African people only had spears and wooden shields to defend themselves.