1750-1900 Flashcards
China beginning
Qing dynasty grew increasingly effective
New world crops brought increase in population
Led to strain
More famines, series of rebellions
Chinese military stagnated
China was self sufficient, rejected foreign influence, felt it required nothing that outsides ers produced
Europeans sought trade with China, paid with silver bullion
Silver drain from Britiain inspired mercahtns to find something Chinese wanted, which ended up being opium
The emperor made opium trade illegal, but Britis merchants smuggled it in, Chinese paid silver for opium
Reversed the silver drain
First Opium War - resentment over Britsh drug trafficking played major role, though atually broke out over customs dispute
China suffered major defeat, series of unequal treaties
British and other Europeans commercial entry into China, spexial privileges, spheres of influence
SEcond Opium War - resulted form Western European desire to further weaken China’s control over trade, legalize opium rade, to expand the exported of indentured workers
Taiping Rebellion
Further stress
Controlled a large territory within two years of fighting
Nationalism influenced, majority Han ethnic rule resnted Manchus
Seemed powerless against European imperialism
Finally defeated, but drained the Qing treasury
Incredibly bloody
Self Strengthening Movement
Qing did have limited reforms
Gov sponsored grants, leaders promoted military and economic reofmr in China saying “Chinese learning at the base, Western learning fr us”
Built modern shipyards, railroads and weapon industries
Founded academies for study of science
Solid foundation, but only brought minimal change
Also experienced resistance from imperial gov
Hundred Days Reform 1898
Interpreted Confucian thought to justify radical changes to the system, intent to remake China into a modern industrial society
Emperor Guangzu, program to change China into constitutional monarchy, guarantee cibil liberties, and build a modern education system
But strongly resisted by conservative officials
Empress Dowager Cixi, cancelled reforms and imprisoned emperor ina coup
Qing’s chance fo reform ended
Boxer Rebellion
Sought to rid china of foreigners and foreign influence,
Supported by Cixi
Multinational force fro countries like US, Russia, and Japan defeated Boxers and forced China to pay a large fee in sivler for damages
Cixi ater supported modest reforms called the Late Qing Reforms or New Policies
Some provinces adopted them, bu tsome not, Qing were weak
Establishment of Republic
Young mena nd women who had travel doutside China, seen modernization of the West and Japan, wanted to bring it to China
Plans to overthrow Qing were developed
Leadership of Sun Yat-sen, qing ewre forced to abdicate, Republic of China was proclaimed
China
opening to trade, opium wars, taiping rebellion, self strengthening movement, hundred days reform, boxer rebellion, forming republic
Jpaan before overthrow
Japan knew what happened ot China at teh hands of the British
After the California Gold Rush, US became more intrestedin Pacific commerce
Commodore Matthew Perry, showed up with guns and ships, opened trade with Japan
Japan had restricted trade from most of the world for centuries, caused debate between Tokugawa shofunate and samurai class
Some clans “revere the emperor and repel the barbarians”, veiled critique of the shogun, found inability to ward of Western countries embarrassing
Generation of reofrme dminded samurai made plans to undermine the military gov led by the shogun, overthrow the shogun, restore the empror, and advance japanese modernization
Japan after overthrow
National legislature called Diet
Compulsory public schools, feudal system was abolished, ownership of weapons wa sno longe rrestricted to the samura class
Some samurai were displeased, Satsuma REbellion, governments army won
Development was driven in part by zaibatsu, family owned business congolmerates that dominated the economy
Japan built a modern infrastructure and military, defeated Chinese and Russians in war, began beuilding an empire in the Pacific
Rise of imperial japan
Japan becoming world power
North America: Seven Years War
1756-1763
Fought on three continents - North America, Europe, and Indian subcontinent
Can called the first global war
North American part called the French and Indian War
British and colonists fought an alliance of the French and their Native American allies
North America: American Revolution
British were in debt, raised tax revenues from North American colonies
Colonies resented this, “taxation without representation”
Intolerable Acts basically took away Massachusetts ability to self govern, led to the First Continental Congress in 1774
Lexington in 1775
July 4, 1776 - Declaration of Independence, inspired by Enlightenment ideas
1781 - American Revolution ends with British surrender at Yorktown to George Washington
Written constitution with freedom of speech and religion, but only white male property owners enjoy full rights
French Revolution before Napoleon
Wanted to replace existing monarchy and political structure with a more democratic republic
Social structure of france pre revolution
First estate (clergy), Second estate (nobility), Third estate (everyone else)
Third estate by far most of the population close to 98%
Nobles refused to pay taxes, middle class resented monarchy’s power, incompetence of Louis XVI, poverty among peasants, grain shortages, success of American Revolution
Estates General met, traditionally each estate had one vote which were weighted equally
So, first and second estates could always outvote the third estate
Third Estate wanted all of the estates to vote together, with votes to be counted per delegate head (which would make the third estate much more powerful than the others
This lead to deadlock, weeks layered the Third Estate proclaimed itself the National Assembly
National Assembly issued reforms, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, new constitution that put in place limited monarchy
Not enough for radicals, too much for conservative monarchists
Radicals took control and executed the king, formed Committee for Public Safety led to Robespierre, Reign of Terror
French Revolution, Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte took advantage, eventually became emperor
Civil Code - political and legal equality of all adult men, established a merit based society, protected private property, but limited free speech and allowed censorship of newspapers
Napoleon defeat many of the other European powers, ear lasted from 1803 to 1814, taking on Russia in 1812 proved fatal, majority of army not surviving campaign
Monarchy was restored with Louis XVII
Resulted in Congress of Vienna
Left British Empire as the most powerful in the international system, only Russian Empire rivaling it
Haitian Revolution
Hispaniola (Saint-Domingue) had a population that was overwhelmingly made up of slaves, working under brutal conditions
Some escaped and formed independent communities - maroons
When French Revolution began, settlers wanted to govern themselves, but didn’t want to give political and legal equality to the free people of color slaves
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen undermined the racial hierarchy, “men are born and remain free and equal in rights”
Slave revolt in August of 1791
French, later British and Spanish, troops invaded the island wanting to gain control
Slaves led by Toussaint L’Ouverture, military leader who built strong and disciplined army, by 1797 controlled most of Saint Domingue
1803, independence declared
1804, Haiti was second independent republic in the Western Hemisphere, first republic that abolished slavery
Great economic difficulty after independence, many nations such as the US refused to recognize or conduct trade with Haiti due to its emancipation of slaves
Also at disadvantage because new nation of small farmers wasn’t as economically production as large scale plantations based on slave labor
Latin American Revolutions
Colonies controlled by Spanish and Portuguese had fewest Peninsulares, than significantly more Creoles, then many more less privileged classes (black slaves, indigenous people, mulattos, mestizos)
Roman Catholic Church was a major social and political force in these colonies
Napoleons 1807 invasion of Spain and Portugal weakened their authority in their colones
By 1810, revolts in Argentina, Venezuela, and Mexico
Jamaica Letter written Simon Bolivar, expressed views on the independence movement in Venezuela and the need for a union of the former Spanish colonies
Jamaica Letter is firmly rooted in Enlightenment political ideals
Mexico, Father Miguel de Hidalgo led a peasant rebellion, conservative Creole forces gained control of it, movement failed
Simon Bolivar led revolts in South America, by 1824 deposed Spanish armies
Bolivar’s goal was to establish Gran Colombia, but did not last because of cultural differences
Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil after Napoleon’s invasion
When the king returned in 1821, left his son Pedro to rule, Pedro agreed to the demands of Creoles and declared Brazil independent
After independence movements, Creoles became dominant class, many peninsulares returned to Europe, Latin American society remained economically and racially stratified
Slavery continued, wealth and power of Roman Catholic church persisted, lower classes continued to be repressed
