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[140868] Manchester Museum : Opium War
Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester.
The University of Manchester.
Chinese Culture Gallery.
Opium War.
In the mid 19th century Chinese products were very popular in Britain, but China had little interest in buying British Empire goods in return, instead insisting on payment in silver. The British East India Company and its middlemen smuggled Indian grown opium into China in ever increasing quantities to balance trade, fuelling widespread addiction.
When the Chinese government resisted by destroying drugs stored in Guangdong warehouses, Britain declared the first Opium War (1839-42) in the name of free trade. The Qing dynasty was forced to sign unequal treaties and open Chinese ports to British merchants.
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Manchester Museum has been at the heart of the city’s cultural scene for more than 130 years.
As one of the UK’s biggest university museums, it is home to an incredible range of collections, covering everything from archaeology to zoology, natural history to human cultures.
[140868] Manchester Museum : Opium War
Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester.
The University of Manchester.
Chinese Culture Gallery.
Opium War.
In the mid 19th century Chinese products were very popular in Britain, but China had little interest in buying British Empire goods in return, instead insisting on payment in silver. The British East India Company and its middlemen smuggled Indian grown opium into China in ever increasing quantities to balance trade, fuelling widespread addiction.
When the Chinese government resisted by destroying drugs stored in Guangdong warehouses, Britain declared the first Opium War (1839-42) in the name of free trade. The Qing dynasty was forced to sign unequal treaties and open Chinese ports to British merchants.
--------------------------------
Manchester Museum has been at the heart of the city’s cultural scene for more than 130 years.
As one of the UK’s biggest university museums, it is home to an incredible range of collections, covering everything from archaeology to zoology, natural history to human cultures.