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All are addictive to some degree and alter bio-chemistry and they are expanded
from luxury goods in the 16th century to mass consumer goods by the 19th century.
All came to be massively produced on plantations, and most came to be used to
promote labor productivity in some way
Background to Opium War
Portuguese settlement in Macao: 1557
1690s-1840: European trade is NOT governed by tribute system
1760-1840: European trade restricted to the port of Canton
British East India Company: established 1600 have a government granted monopoly
on trade between Asia and Britain. Monopoly ends 1834
Britain becomes addicted to tea because it is marketable to all classes of consumer
AND no domestic competition. In 1760s: 1/6 of British government income is from
the Tea Tax.
Britain now as an issue that they are losing money because they keep buying and
not selling which causes them to lose millions in silver. To fix this issue, they start
selling opium. British merchants on the other hand try to open more ports with
Macartney in 1793 which ultimately results in no change.
Size of trade keeps increasing but flow of silver reverses
Silver scarcity makes it very hard for Qing peasants to pay taxes, and losing silver
and taxes from spending on opium was a big problem for the Qing
Commissioner Lin Zexu arrives in Canton in 1838, and confiscates British opium
First Opium War 1840-42: British gunboats decimate Chinese defenses
Treaty of Nanking/Unequal Treaties 1842
Second Opium War (Arrow War) 1856-60
Opium legalized
Legation established in Beijing
Emigration allowed
10 more treaty ports opened
1854: Chinese barred from testifying against Whites in CA courts; filling the labor
gap due to abolition of slavery and slave trade
Anti-Chinese riots: LA in 1871, SF in 1877, Rock Springs 1885, 1882 Chinese
exclusion act
Driven out of construction, factory work, and into Chinatowns
A mostly male society: population declines from 130,000 in 1883 to 90,000 in 1900