The Opium Wars

In the 15Th century, the British decided they wanted to trade goods with china.Mainly tea because it was very poplar among the Europeans and Americans. China refused because they were a very self-sufficient country. Until the British introduced a new medicine to China called opium. Opium was used for curing diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera, until the British mixed it with tobacco so that it could be smoked. Soon the Chinese were strung out on the drug. This weakened a large amount of the Chinese population and even the Chinese economy. The Chinese government soon realized this and banned the drug from being sold and traded in china. This upset the British and they refused to stop selling opium to the Chinese people. In 1840 the opium wars began. China was very unprepared the for the war, and eventually lost the war to the British.