The Arrow Incident of 1856
The Arrow Incident of 1856 was a small skirmish, yet was a spark that set off the great bonfire of war. As of the Treaty of Nanking, Hong Kong was ceded over to the British, and Chinese residents and their property were under British control. In the midst of this was a ship owned by a Chinese person named Arrow, where a notorious pirate was supposedly hiding. The Chinese searched the ship without the British government's consent, hauling down the British flag in the process, most likely as an attempt to cause trouble with the British. The British, feeling that they had their privacy rights violated and country dishonored, started a shooting with the Chinese officials, which quickly escalating into a battle, and ultimately coming to the point of war. This war, as we know it, is called the Second Opium War.
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The British and French VS The Chinese Government
The Chinese were not very lenient with Christianity in their country, as the French learned in the hard way in February 1856. A French missionary had been murdered, and the French saw the British's attack on China as a chance to get revenge and assert their own dominance in China. In just a year, the French and British had teamed up and were threatening to attack the Qing capital. In another year, the Chinese finally succumbed and agreed to the signing of the Treaty of Tianjin, which will be described in the next section. Though future attempts at defeating the British were made, they never succeeded. The Chinese could only listen to what the British wanted them to do.
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The Treaty of Tianjin: A Resolution
The Treaty of Tianjin, though unfair to the Chinese and resented as another "unequal treaty." It completely opened up China's diplomatic relations with Britain. The Chinese could no longer limit missionaries' actions; they were free to move, could own property, and take jobs. Free travel and trade was established between the two countries. But most importantly,
OPIUM WAS ONCE AGAIN LEGALIZED IN THE QING DYNASTY.
China had completely lost the war, trade dominance, and almost their country.
One could argue after all this, that Lin's life work had been nearly for nothing. Yet his legacy lived on.
OPIUM WAS ONCE AGAIN LEGALIZED IN THE QING DYNASTY.
China had completely lost the war, trade dominance, and almost their country.
One could argue after all this, that Lin's life work had been nearly for nothing. Yet his legacy lived on.
(Ownby 1)