Changes

*[[2nd China War]] 1856-60

The Western Powers sought to renegotiate their commercial treaties with China. The British wanted all of China open to merchants, legalization of the opium trade and exemption of import tariffs. The Qing Government refused and relations deteriorated. The French, Russians and Americans also became involved. In the First Campaign British and French forces captured Canton and took the [[Taku Forts]] outside [[Tientsin|Tianjin]]. There was a temporary end to hostilities with the Treaty of Tianjin (giving extensive rights to the Western Powers) but the Qing Government rejected the treaty and this led to a Second Campaign. In June 1859 Anglo-French forces failed to take the Taku Forts but later captured Tianjin. In September the Chinese were defeated and the Summer Palace in [[Peking]] destroyed. The Convention of Peking ratified the Treaty of Tianjin, the opium trade was legalized, China was opened to western merchants and Britain and France were paid a huge indemnity.

*Review by Peter Bailey of the book ''Indigo and Opium: Two Remarkable Families and Fortunes Won and Lost'' by Miles Macnair (2013). The review is in ''FIBIS Journal'' Number 32 (Autumn 2014), pages 50-51. For details of how to access the review, see [[FIBIS Journals]].