鸦片战争的历史及影响(英语论文)

HIST 200

Xiao Shuai

Oct. 10th, 2011 History of Chinese opium trade and historical influences Why did opium become such a problem and what were the British and Chinese

views of the opium trade?

Whenever people talking about Modern Chinese history, the opium war is always a fashion topic as it is the beginning of the Modern Chinese history. However when people talking about the opium war, the history will stretch back to the time when Britain first finish the industrial revolution.

In the middle of 18 century, Britain first started the industrial revolution. Someone believes that the industrial revolution started in 1750s, however the invention of the Jenny Spinning (1765) normally counts as the beginning of the industrial revolution. With the invention of Watt Steam Engine, and the promotion and improvement from various users, had greatly enhanced the comprehensive strength of the UK (United Kingdoms).

Influences on production methods:

1.Caused the industry to change the factory workshop from manual to

mechanization.

2.Greatly improved productivity of the UK.

3.Objectively spread the advanced production technology and production

methods to the world.

4.The UK had begun dumping commodities to overseas markets as the “world

factory”.

Based on the advantages of technologies, British had started dumping their commodities to oversea markets. To satisfy the demand of Chinese commodities of Europe, East India Co. and other western mechanists using industrial products trade Chinese commodities to European market such as tea, silks and ceramics. According to the text book, in 1600 the British government granted the east India company a monopoly on trade east of Africa’s cape of good hope to south America’s straits of Magellan, that is, all trade in the Indian and pacific ocean; made perpetual in 1609, this monopoly lasted until 1834. There were 4 opened ports at China in early 18 century; the Canton system was the procedure of trade and barbarian management. The ports reduced to only one in 1759. James Flint has sent to undertake talk about restrict trading policies with Qing government by East India Co., had violated Chinese policies, the court decreed that Canton from that time would be only open port and that Europeans could trade only with the Cohong under the general control of a Superintendent of Maritime Customs.

As the time goes by, the limited ports of Chinese market and the Canton system could no longer satisfy the booming trades and western demand of Chinese goods. By the turn of the 19-century, tea made up 80% of Chinese exports to Europe. Therefore western merchants wants further open up the