Western sailors in China, crazed by their addiction to opium, ran amok in Chinese port cities, enraging local officials who demanded war. Chinese sailors in western port cities, crazed by their addiction to opium, ran amok on shore leave, enraging local officials who demanded war. Chinese merchants demanded to continue their traditional monopoly of the opium trade in China, British merchants objected and the disagreement escalated to war. Chinese growers tried to move in on the Indian poppy industry, disrupting the colonial economy until the British stepped in with military force. British merchants demanded that their government enforce “Free Trade” and defend their right to bring addictive opium into Chinese trade ports.

Western sailors in China, crazed by their addiction to opium, ran amok in Chinese port cities, enraging local officials who demanded war. Chinese sailors in western port cities, crazed by their addiction to opium, ran amok on shore leave, enraging local officials who demanded war. Chinese merchants demanded to continue their traditional monopoly of the opium trade in China, British merchants objected and the disagreement escalated to war. Chinese growers tried to move in on the Indian poppy industry, disrupting the colonial economy until the British stepped in with military force. British merchants demanded that their government enforce “Free Trade” and defend their right to bring addictive opium into Chinese trade ports.