“Support the Ch’ing-destroy the foreigner!”(Cohen 56). This was the slogan that was shouted from the mouths of those that were deemed as the Righteous Harmony Society in China between 1898 and 1901. The group’s main goal was to fight for China’s right to keep foreign invaders from taking over Chinese territories for the use of trade. Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia all were in agreement that they had specific boundaries within the Chinese land and they referred to it as their selected “sphere of influence.” The United States was in favor of this due to the fact that they had recently acquired the Philippines, and with the close proximity, American businesses could possibly benefit from the Chinese resources and trade.
The group was nicknamed Boxers due to the martial arts and calisthenics they practiced. This group consisted of people who had lost their livelihoods due to imperialism and natural disasters. The boxers consisted local farmers and peasants who were made desperate by disastrous floods and widespread opium addiction and blamed all of their bad misfortune on Christian missionaries, Chinese Christians, and the Europeans colonizing their country. The Boxers believed that they did not need heavy artillery due to the fact that they were protected by the supernatural. The often only carried swords and rifles.
The Empress Tsu Hsi of the Ch’ing Dynasty encouraged the warriors to help protect her land that she feared was being taken away. She stated “The various Powers cast us looks of tiger-like voracity, hustling each other to be first to seize our innermost territories.” (Chan 2003). The cry from their leader caused uproar and fueled the movement to begin. One of the first accounts appeared in a village after a local court ruled in favor of giving a local temple over to the local Roman Catholic authorities for the use as a church. Led by Boxer agitators, the church and all of its inhabitants was assaulted.
The boxers became known as brutal attackers. Men and women were tortured by being burned alive, hacked with swords and even dragged through howling mobs before their executions.In the early months of 1900, thousands of boxers roamed the Chinese countryside. They attacked Christian missions, slaughtering foreign missionaries and Chinese converts.
They then moved toward the cities. Diplomats and foreign ministers became nervous and scared for their lives and insisted that the Chinese government put a stop to the Boxer Rebellion. The Empress told them that she would put a stop to the attacks, but she did nothing to honor their wishes.Foreign diplomats and their families lived in a compound just outside of the walls in the heart of Beijing. For months these diplomats battled the Boxers repetitively in war in order to protect their families and compound.
They had sent word that they needed help in their dire situation and their ammunition, food, and medical supplies were almost gone. After two months and almost giving up, help had finally arrived.An international army made up from soldiers from eight countries. The United States sent approximately 2,500 sailors and marines in order to defeat the Boxers.
The soldiers soon overtook the Forbidden City and looted the capital. The Empress escaped by disguised herself as a peasant and fled in a cart to avoid her death.Because the U.S. had participated in the campaign to save the land, we also took part in settlement that followed.
John Hay called for the “Open Door” Policy not only within the spheres of influence, but in all parts of China. This meant that foreign access was allowed to China’s market and he also recommended that the powers preserve China’s territory and its government.The world cheered as civilization was restored. Many Chinese civilians lost their lives due to fire from both sides.
The official punishment of China can in 1901. It was forced into virtual demilitarized and fined 333 million dollars. But the Boxer Rebellion was more than just money lost, it was thousands of lives pursuing a belief.
