The Opium War
-The Opium War started during the 19th century. During that time Britain was trading opium with China in exchange for tea and other products such as Chinese silk. China's green tea was very popular and England could not get enough of it. England began to trade opium which was grown in India,with the Chinese. The Chinese already knew about opium but they used it for medical purposes. The English taught them to mix opium and tobacco so that it could be smoked. The Chinese were an isolated country and they were afraid of the exposure of the Western countries. In the end, China agreed to trade tea with England in exchange for opium. It allowed the English to have five ports instead of one in China.
The Effects of the Opium War
- The Chinese quickly became addicted to the opium and wanted more of it. Millions of people began to die because of the drug and the Chinese passed laws that stated that anyone who was caught selling opium would be killed. They forbade anyone from using opium. The English were angry about this and tried to force the opium unto the Chinese.The English sent warships to China in 1840. The Chinese had made no technological advances in weapons unlike the British. The British easily on the Opium War and the English were granted the right to control Hong Kong, and legalized the selling of opium. This was called the Treaty of Nanjing (1842). The British opened more ports In China. The Opium war is known as the first drug war.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Mountains of the Moon
The European's Dangerous Journey to Africa
- Some of the hardships that the Europeans faced as they explored Africa were racial, diseases, famin, and the risk of dying or gettin lost. Richard Burton and John Speake were English men who went to Africa to find the source of the Nile. On their way there, they were attacked by African tribes who burned down all their supplies and almost killed them in the process. Some African tribes had never seen white men before and they tortured them, these were some of the racial attacks they faced.
- Richard Burton and John Speake had to walk across unknown territory to find what they wanted. They had used up all their resources and Richard Burton developed a disease and he could barely walk anymore. John Speake was partially deaf because of a beetle that had crawled into his ear. The British men weren't used to the conditions in Africa. The African men that were traveling with them suffered also because they argued with each other and were getting sick.
Lake Victoria
- The source of the Nile River is called Lake Victoria, and it is the third largest lake in the world.John Speake named it after the Queen of England. Even, many years after Burton and Speake's journey to the Nile the lake is still called Lake Victoria. Speake did not technically discover the lake because the one of the African tribes lived near it. The people already knew about the lake and obviously used it's resources. I believe that is an insult to the African people because Speake should have named after tribe who lived there because it belonged to them.
Technological Advances
-The technologica advances that Europeans had over the African people were weapons, maps and other travel equipment. This made it easier for the Europeans to conquer the African people because they had all types of guns. They had maps which enabled them to see what part of Africa that they were in and be able to come up with a strategy. Richard Burton always carried a telescope which helped him see if they were tigers or other tribes that were going to attack them.
- Some of the hardships that the Europeans faced as they explored Africa were racial, diseases, famin, and the risk of dying or gettin lost. Richard Burton and John Speake were English men who went to Africa to find the source of the Nile. On their way there, they were attacked by African tribes who burned down all their supplies and almost killed them in the process. Some African tribes had never seen white men before and they tortured them, these were some of the racial attacks they faced.
- Richard Burton and John Speake had to walk across unknown territory to find what they wanted. They had used up all their resources and Richard Burton developed a disease and he could barely walk anymore. John Speake was partially deaf because of a beetle that had crawled into his ear. The British men weren't used to the conditions in Africa. The African men that were traveling with them suffered also because they argued with each other and were getting sick.
Lake Victoria
- The source of the Nile River is called Lake Victoria, and it is the third largest lake in the world.John Speake named it after the Queen of England. Even, many years after Burton and Speake's journey to the Nile the lake is still called Lake Victoria. Speake did not technically discover the lake because the one of the African tribes lived near it. The people already knew about the lake and obviously used it's resources. I believe that is an insult to the African people because Speake should have named after tribe who lived there because it belonged to them.
Technological Advances
-The technologica advances that Europeans had over the African people were weapons, maps and other travel equipment. This made it easier for the Europeans to conquer the African people because they had all types of guns. They had maps which enabled them to see what part of Africa that they were in and be able to come up with a strategy. Richard Burton always carried a telescope which helped him see if they were tigers or other tribes that were going to attack them.
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