Opium Trade, the Opium Wars, and the Treaty Port System in China (1773-1860)

1. Canton System confines Western trade to Guangzhou

   Jan 1, 1757Labels: Canton System, Guangzhou, Cohong

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

2. Qing decree makes Guangzhou the sole legal port

   Jan 1, 1757Labels: Qing decree, Guangzhou

   • Britannica
   • Canton System

3. East India Company begins selling Indian opium in China

   Jan 1, 1770Labels: East India, Indian opium

   • EIC
   • Opium War

4. Macartney Embassy fails to expand British trade

   Jan 1, 1793Labels: Macartney Embassy, Lord Macartney

   • Macartney
   • Britannica

5. Qing bans opium import as smuggling expands

   Jan 1, 1800Labels: Qing prohibition, smuggling

   • EIC
   • Opium War

6. Lin Zexu appointed imperial commissioner to suppress opium

   Dec 1, 1838Labels: Lin Zexu, Daoguang Emperor

   • Britannica
   • MIT VC

7. Lin Zexu destroys seized opium at Humen

   Jun 3, 1839Labels: Humen destruction, Lin Zexu

   • Humen
   • Britannica

8. First Opium War begins between Britain and Qing China

   Sep 1, 1839Labels: First Opium, Britain

   • Opium War
   • Britannica

9. Treaty of Nanjing opens five treaty ports

   Aug 29, 1842Labels: Treaty of, Hong Kong

   • Britannica
   • Nanking

10. Treaty of the Bogue grants extraterritoriality to Britain

    Oct 8, 1843Labels: Treaty of, Extraterritoriality

    • Britannica
    • Bogue

11. US and France sign treaties expanding treaty port privileges

    Oct 24, 1844Labels: Treaty of

    • Britannica
    • Whampoa

12. Arrow Incident triggers the Second Opium War

    Oct 8, 1856Labels: Arrow Incident, Second Opium

    • Britannica
    • Arrow War

13. Treaty of Tianjin opens more ports and legalizes opium import

    Jun 1, 1858Labels: Treaty of, Opium legalization

    • Tianjin
    • Britannica

14. Convention of Beijing entrenches treaty port system

    Oct 24, 1860Labels: Convention of, Treaty port

    • Britannica
    • Opium War