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Treaty of Nanjing
This treaty ended the First Opium War over illegal opium trade by the British. The Chinese agreed to repay the british for any destroyed opium, gave Britain the city of Hong Kong, opened five ports for the British, and placed a low tariff on all British goods. -
Suez Canal Built
Ferdinand de Lesseps secured an agreement to build the canal in 1859. It was completed and opened for navigation ten years later, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. -
Queen Victoria Crowned Empress of India
This title corresponded to the British Raj in which rule was transferred from the East India Company to the crown. It linked the British monarchy with the empire, and bound India more closely to Britain. -
Open Door Policy
The U.S. feared that a major power would try to monopolize trade with China. This was a statement initiated by the U.S. that protected equal privileges among countries trading with China. -
Boer War
The Boers, descendants of Dutch settlers in Southern Africa, resisted the British as they began colonizing there. Once diamonds and gold were discovered in the region, a war began, and the British eventually took control over the South African territory. -
Roosevelt Corollary
Roosevelt was afraid that any crisis between a nation in the Western Hemisphere and a European power could spark an invasion. This addition to the Monroe Doctrine gave the U.S. the right to be an international police power in the Western Hemisphere when necessary. -
Panama Canal Built
President Roosevelt wanted to build a canal through Panama, immensely reducing the time it takes to sail from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The construction lasted ten years, and the U.S. was in control of the canal at the time.
