The Opium Wars

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.