EALC 001 Study Guide - Final Guide: Qing Dynasty, Unequal Treaty, Second Opium War
16 Jan 2019
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Document Summary
British traders were unhappy with the high amount they had to pay for trading with china. Opium was illegal, because it"s addictive, wrecks peoples health and families. Proof that even british trading companies knew that it was not legal, was that they set up byzantine networks to avoid responsibility for selling/ distributing opium - muddy legal waters to avoid responsibility for violating wars. Qing gvt got annoyed because opium market grew, almost all opium came from foreign sources. Small majority of british parliament who felt that lin ze xu"s confiscation of opium = unexplainable attack on british goods. War lasted 2 years, because it took a long time to get there. Hostilities were minor, very few casualties, no war boats yet but still more advanced than chinese boats. If you see painting of people burning opium, whole town would get high, this is wrong/fake.
