Chinese People OppressedFor almost all of China's existence, it has been ruled by an Emperor or Empress. Throughout much of that time, there were two classes in China, working peasants, who worked in the fields, and rich royals. European influence increased in China during the 1800's. The British, to take advantage of China, got many people addicted to opium. They wanted cheap silk and tea. Other European nations and Japan also tried to exploit China's resources. The Chinese people freed themselves form foreign influence and took down their Emperor when some Chinese people selected Communist leaders. After a civil war, Communists took over and united China. The government was very authoritarian and controlled almost everything that went on in China. To this day, many Chinese people have restrictions on what they can and cannot do.
Fighting BackChina has a long history of war. There have been many uprisings against the leaders of China. There have been 19 civil wars since 209 BC. Many of these civil wars have been very violent, including the Taiping Rebellion, which is the second bloodiest conflict in world history. When westerners tried to exploit China, the Boxers, a group of peasants, attacked the world powers with swords and spears. Today, people protest and fight riot police and the Chinese army. They protest anything from the freedom of a nation to the closing of a dangerous factory.
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Why I chose this topic?
My former social studies teacher, in 8th grade, got me interested in the Boxer Rebellion. Also, people fighting for their freedom is inspiring and interesting to learn about. Chinese people and Tibetans fight for freedoms even though the odds of success are very low. Now, more protests are more successful compared to forty years ago. Why this is topic is significant?
China is one of the world powers today. One reason is that Chinese peasants almost defeated the combined world's superpowers' armies. Since China is a world power, knowing some of their history is important to understand people from China. Knowing that the Chinese want to have more freedoms, like in America, shows that nobody likes being oppressed and it is wrong to restrict people. The Boxers went up against the most powerful nations with swords and spears. Just like in the American Revolutionary war, they were outgunned, but they fought because freedom is important. |