Ep. 127 | The Birth of U.S.-China Relations
In this episode, we take a look at the circumstances and times when the brand spanking new nation of the United States of America cameto China for the very first time. The so-called “Most Important Relationship in the World” had very humble origins indeed.
When representatives of the United States first arrived in Canton in August 1783 they really had a lot of explaining to do about who they were and where they came from. Repeatedly they had to explain to the Chinese who interacted with them that they weren’t British.
Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Player
Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bupingdeng tiaoyue | 不平等条约 | Unequal Treaty |
| Da Qing | 大清 | The name of the Qing Empire…means “Big” or “Great” Qing |
| Guangzhou | 广州 | Canton |
| Guanyin Tang | 观音堂 | The Temple in Macao where the Treaty of Wangxia was signed |
| Jin Sha | 金沙 | Cumshaw. A bribe given in the form of a gift (means gold sand or gold dust) |
| Lao Mei | 老美 | A term for America or Americans…not particularly a polite way to say it |
| Lao Zhong | 老中 | I never heard this used before…but the counterpart of Lao Mei |
| Puji Chanyuan | 普及禅院 | The former name of this temple |
| Qianlong | 乾隆 | The Qing emperor who reigned 1735-1796 |
| Qiying | 耆英 | Known as “Keying”, a Manchu noble who signed many Unequal Treaties |
| Sishu | 四书 | The Four Books |
| Wangxia Tiaoyue | 望夏条约 | The Treaty of Wangxia July 3, 1844 |
| Wujing | 五经 | The Five Classics |
| Wuyi Cha | 武夷茶 | Bohea Tea A popular type of tea export back in the day |
| Xichun Cha | 熙春茶 | Hyson Tea Another popular type of tea export back in the day |
| Zhong-Mei guanxi | 中美关系 | China – US Relations |
Resources
Enjoy the show and want to support the CHP?
Join the CHP Patreon
Make a Direct Donation
Related Episodes
On October 24th, 1871 the Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre took place near the present-day location of Union Station, just north of the core downtown L.A. area.