 |
Maine and the Orient:
Opium and the Opening of China |
The Portuguese introduced opium to China against the wishes of the Chinese emperor. Later, England brought opium grown in India into Canton, and after 1838 the British allowed the United States to participate in the opium trade. Opium was used by British and American citizens too, and was not considered an illegal or dangerous drug at the time. In 1840-42, the Chinese fought the British in an attempt to ban opium, but were defeated. As a result of the Opium Wars England acquired Hong Kong, and four more ports opened to western trade: Shanghai, Ningpo, Foochow, and Amoy.
The opium wars of 1840-1842 divided the China Trade into two periods:
• The Old China Trade before the Treaty of Nanking in 1842 and the Treaty of Whanghia in 1843. During this period Canton was the only port open to western traders.
• Trade in the period after 1844, when more Chinese ports were open to the west. The United States was more active in the later years of the China Trade, especially after the Civil War. The opening of Japan in 1853 was a critical event for Western trade with the Far East. Maine’s role in trade with the Orient reached its peak in the latter part of the 19th century.
|
