Opium Wars - Imperialism in China

The Opium Wars were named that because the British and the Chinese were fighting over the opium. Opium is a highly-addictive drug given to the Chinese. It is grown in the East Indies. The British would give the opium, which was used to make medicine, to the Chinese in exchange for some Chinese tea. In 1838, the Chinese government demanded not to give them any more opium due to people being highly addictive to it and dying. In 1840, the First Opium war began. The British won the war because they had advanced weapon technology and the Chinese doesn't.

In 1842, the 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.