Second Opium War Begins: Arrow Incident Sparks Clash
Chinese officials in Canton boarded a cargo ship called the Arrow on October 8, 1856, and arrested twelve crew members for suspected piracy. The ship was Chinese-owned but registered in Hong Kong under a British flag that may have already expired. The British consul, Harry Parkes, demanded an apology and the return of all prisoners. Qing officials returned the men but refused to apologize. The British bombarded Canton. France joined the war after a French missionary was executed in Guangxi province. Over four years of fighting, the Anglo-French forces burned the Old Summer Palace in Beijing as punishment for the torture and execution of envoys. The resulting treaties opened eleven new ports to foreign trade, legalized the opium trade, and allowed Christian missionaries throughout China. An estimated 60,000 Chinese died.
October 8, 1856
170 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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