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How Did The Opium War Affect China

1804 Words8 Pages

China’s Opium War and Its Affect On Now
Ethan Hightower-Ramos
Senior Division
Historical Paper
Word Count Of 2000

The opium war on China has brought great debt to almost every country in the world but most importantly, England. Opium was used to produce an analgesic effect that would promote pain relief. Opium is now a drug that aggravates the symptoms of other drugs. Opium affects the brain as the drug binds to several receptor sites that control physiology, mood, movement, breathing, body temperature and digestion. Opium makes these neurotransmitters react as they would under extreme stress. The Opium War started when England decided to get money by selling opium in 1773 to China. The English had just finished with America and came …show more content…

From 1842-1849, tension begins to rise between China and the foreigners. As the tension rose, the Taiping rebellion started (Lovell 369). During this rebellion, almost thirty million are left dead on the streets of the Jiangxi Provence (Wikipedia 1). After the bloody battle left thirty million dead, Qing forces fire onto a British fleet sailing to Beijing. During the Taiping rebellion, the Emperor’s power was questionable. This was because of how little he was doing to stop it. The rebellion lasted over 14 years and ended because the Emperor changed his strategy and made a new army. The new army was assisted by western cultures that wanted the Emperor to continue his dynasty. If the Emperor hadn’t forged this new army from nowhere, the dynasty would be overthrown and the unequal treaties between the English and the Chinese would end. From 1860-1890, China tries to modernize itself with science and technology. At the start of the 19th century, a group of rebels lay siege to the embassies. The siege ends quickly when the arrival of the Eight Nation Allied Forces obliterates the rebels. Qing then decides on a new opium edict …show more content…

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Sowerby, Arthur. “Opium and Narcotics in China.” The China Story, www.thechinastory.org/ritp/opium-and-narcotics-in-china/.
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“Opium Effects.” Opium.com, opium.com/effects/.
“The Economic, Social, and Political Effects of The Opium War Essay.” Economics Papers The Economic Social and Political Effects of The Opium War Essay Comments, www.economicspapers.net/the-economic-social-and-political-effects-of-the-opium-war-essay.html.
“What Is Opium? - How Does It Affect The Body and Brain?” Sober Nation, 18 Jan. 2018,

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