By 1850, the practically unmanageable Chinese population had increased to 430 million people, growing at a rate far higher than the growth of food production. As problems grew, the Chinese people began rebelling against the Qing dynasty. A young man from a province in southern China named Hong Xiuquan led a movement known as the Taiping Rebellion, in which he and his followers attempted to create a "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace." With his large army, Hong began capturing large areas of southeastern China in the 1850s. However, feuding within the Taiping government and attacks from the Qing, British, French forces brought down the Taiping government. Ultimately, upwards of 20 million people died in the …show more content…
European nations as well as Japan gained strong footholds, known as spheres of influence, in China that allowed them to control trade and investment. A long-time trading partner of China, the United States was concerned that other nations would divide China into colonies and shut out American traders. As a result, the United States declared the Open Door Policy, which proposed that China 's trade be open to merchants of all nations. While the policy protected U.S. trading rights and China 's freedom from colonization, the country was still at the mercy of foreign