Open Door PolicyAmerica was looking for another country to trade with and one that would be able to sell their goods. They began looking at Asia, especially China. China had been weakened by war and other countries, such as France, Germany, Britain, Japan, and Russia, had already begun setting up settlements on China’s coast.Those countries had cut out new colonies and establishments from China. America feared the number of colonies would increase and not allow them to trade with the China. The US Secretary of State, John Hay, issued the Open Door Notes, which was a series of policy statements addressed to several imperialist nations, proposing an “Open door”. An open door allowed each country to trade with America with no restrictions. The leaders of the nations were somewhat reluctant at these policies, but accepted.Boxer Rebellion
After the Open Door Notes were established, China had kept its freedom. Yet, the large cities of China were dominated by Europeans. Some of the natives were very angry and spiteful because of this. Many secret societies were formed to get rid of the Europeans, or the “foreign devil” as many referred to them as. One of the most famous groups was “the Boxers” who earned their name because many of the members practiced martial arts.The group killed many foreigners including missionaries. They worked to stop the Chinese conversion to Christianity. Fed up with their behavior, about 2,500 American soldiers were joined by troops from Britain, France, Germany, and Japan to take down the Boxers. It took them two months, but the troops finally put an end to the Boxer Rebellion. Many Chinese citizens and foreign troops died during the fighting.
After the rebellion, America feared that with their victory, Europe would gain even more control over China. John Hay decided to issue a second series of Open Door Notes. This series stated the United States would “safeguard for the world the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese Empire.”SOURCES:Text Bookhttp://www.theamericanview.com/index.php?id=309http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Door_Policy
Comments