The Boxer Rebellion began in 1898, peasants in northern China began to come together to form a secret society known The Righteous and Harmonious Fists also known as the "Boxers" by Western people. The members of the secret society practiced boxing which they believed would make them immune to bullets.
The Boxers first wanted to destroy the Ch'ing dynasty that had ruled China for 250 years, and they wanted China to extinguish all foreign influence because they considered it a threat to Chinese culture. Then the Empress Dowager favored the Boxers, the Boxers turned completely to getting rid of China's foreigners.
By late 1899, groups of Boxers were killing or massacuring Christian missionaries and Chinese Christians. In May 1900, the Boxer Rebellion had come out of the rural areas and was being conducted in the capital of Peking now known as Beijing. They sent help to the countrymen with an international force of 2,100 American, British, Russian, French, Italian, and Japanese soldiers. They were sent to help calm down or stop the rebellion
On June 18, 1900, the Empress Dowager decreed that all foreigners were to be killed. Most foreign ministers and their families were killed even before the soldiers could protect them. On August 14, 1900, the international force took over Peking and stopped the rebellion.
The Boxer Rebellion weakened the Ch'ing dynasty's power and they advanced the Republican Revolution of 1911 that demolished the boy emperor and made China a republic.
Comments
Good but be sure to add personal thoughts.