In the early nineteenth century England traded with China through the East India Company. Woolen and metal products were traded for silks and more importantly tea. England relied heavily on tea imports and soon it became quite a problem when

The Opium War was the cause of misunderstandings between two countries that had completely different goals. China was trying to keep to itself and wanted to be left alone. Whereas England wanted to expand its trading policies in order to increase its profits. The Opium War resulted because these two countries were unable to work out negotiations due to a major culture gap. The outcome is that China had to open up its borders to other countries including the United States, Russia, and France; and eventually weakened by the coming of the twentieth century by the second Opium War.

During this time, there was a dispute taking place in China between officials and degree holders on the issue of legalizing and taxing opium. J.A.G. Roberts writes that the Spring Purification circle (a group of degree holders) believed in "moral censure" and persuaded the court to discard the notion and impose a stricter policy into effect which would ban opium and punish users to death if they did not give up the habit (Roberts 165). In December 1838, Lin Zexu, the governor general of Hubai and Hunan, was appointed imperial commissioner. His job was to make sure that the new policy against opium use and trade were being followed. Jack Beeching notes that he began this campaign by arresting sixty known opium traders in Guangzhou. The historian adds that Lin Zexu also published four edicts in which he notified teachers to ban opium smoking in schools and warned the merchants and peasants that a bad name is given to the province because of opium dealing. He went on to con!

e country. Consequently, peasants in China had a very difficult time paying for their taxes because silver was the main currency in China. According to J.A.G. Roberts, China was pushed into a trade deficit when the amount of opium imported exceeded the amount of goods exported (Roberts, 164).

guarantee groups to the villages under control of the village elders (Beeching 75). In June of the following year, Lin Zexu confiscated twenty thousand chests of opium and destroyed them throwing the drugs into the river (Fay 160). Lin Zexu also required foreign merchants to sign a declaration that stated they would cease all trading of opium or be punished by death. In order to enforce these laws on British traders, he wrote a letter to Queen Victoria in which he stated his plans. The commissioner requested that the Queen notify her subjects that they must abide by the trading laws that have been set up by the Chinese emperor. If these regulations were not adhered to, thos

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