Unit 4: Nationalism, Industrialism, and Imperialism
Lesson D: Western Trade Opens Chinese Doors
Activity 3: The Chinese React to Foreign Intervention
After the Treaty of Nanjing, the popularity of the Qing Dynasty diminished. According to Chinese custom, rulers had the right to rule as long as they had a "Mandate of Heaven." This meant that the gods approved of the Emperor's right to rule. After the Qing Dynasty lost to the British in the Opium Wars, some Chinese believed that the Qing Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven. This caused many Chinese to rebel against their government.
Presentation Activity - Chinese Uprisings
Mini Lesson
Before you view the presentation:
Download the Student Resource: Chinese Uprisings Graphic Organizer (doc)
View the presentation:
When you are ready, select the play button to view the mini lesson and complete the graphic organizer to learn about how Chinese uprisings affected the power of the government. Be prepared to discuss how foreign intervention led to uprisings and changes.
Classroom Activity - Foreign Intervention and Chinese Uprisings
Discussion
Directions: In this activity, you will discuss how foreign intervention led to Chinese uprisings and changes.
Prepare a response to the discussion questions below. Follow your teacher's directions to participate in your class discussion.
- What role did foreign intervention have in challenging Chinese power? How is this an example of economic imperialism?
- Do you think the uprisings and rebellions would have occurred if there had not been foreign intervention in China? Why or why not?
- Why were the efforts to reform China not successful?
Select the link to review the Discussion Scoring Tool (pdf).
