How Did Imperialism Affect China

Imperialism is the imposition of one group's way of life on another. The British, interrupted the Chinese economy by selling them opium, which ended up disrupting their economy. The Spanish, captured the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and built in its remains Mexico City. The Jewish people, who were offered the state of Israel by The United Nations, took on the Palestinian Arabs in four separate wars. In the late 1700’s, British merchants began making profits from the Chinese by selling the Chinese opium, a drug grown in India. Silver, which was a Chinese form of payment, flowed out of China in exchange for opium, disrupting the economy. The Chinese government outlawed the trading of opium with Britain, but the British refused and continued trading, insisting on the right of free trade. In 1839, the Chinese started the Opium War, a war between British and Chinese warships over the right to trade opium. The British gunboats, which were equipped with modern firepower, defeated the Chinese who had outdated weapons and fighting styles. In 1842, the British made the Chinese accept the Treaty of Nanjing. The treaty gave the British the island of Hong Kong, as well as an …show more content…
The Spanish were led by the conquistador Hernan Cortés, whose goal was to make it to Tenochitilán. The Aztec and Spanish relations grew strained, as the Spanish tried to convert the Africans to Christianity and imprisoned Moctezuma to control the Aztecs and take their gold. Cortés compelled Moctezuma to give his land and treasure to the Spanish, but in the meantime another Spanish fleet had come to challenge Cortés. After the new group of Spaniards landed, a fight between the Spanish, Aztecs, and some Native Americans broke out killing more than half the Spanish as well as Moctezuma. In 1521, Cortés captured and destroyed Tenochitilán and built in its remains Mexico