AP Success - AP World History: Lin Zexu's 1839 Letter to Queen Victoria

"We find that your country is sixty or seventy thousand li [three li equal one mile] from China. Yet there are barbarian ships that strive to come here for trade for the purpose of making a great profit. The wealth of China is used to profit the barbarians. That is to say, the great profit made by barbarians is all taken from the rightful share of China. By what right do they then in return use the poisonous drug to injure the Chinese people? Even though the barbarians may not necessarily intend to do us harm, yet in coveting profit to an extreme, they have no regard for injuring others. Let us ask, where is your conscience?"

Lin Zexu (Lin Tse-Hsu) Writing To Britain's Queen Victoria, 1839

Question 1

Multiple choice

Which of the following best reflects the perspective of Lin Zexu in the provided source?

  • Lin Zexu offers a formal alliance with Britain to promote international trade regulations.

  • Lin Zexu expresses a desire to expand the opium trade with Britain for mutual benefit.

  • Lin Zexu acknowledges the superiority of British trade practices and seeks their guidance.

  • Lin Zexu criticizes the British for their role in the opium trade and its detrimental effects on China.

Question 2

Multiple choice

The source provided is indicative of tensions between China and which of the following during the 19th century?

  • Great Britain

  • Portugal

  • Japan

  • The Ottoman Empire

Question 3

Multiple choice

Lin Zexu's letter to Queen Victoria is historically significant for its association with which event?

  • The Taiping Rebellion

  • The Boxer Rebellion

  • The Treaty of Nanjing

  • The Opium Wars

Question 4

Multiple choice

The 'barbarian ships' mentioned in the source most likely refers to which of the following?

  • European merchant vessels engaged in the opium trade

  • American whaling ships operating in the Pacific

  • Japanese naval forces during the Sino-Japanese War

  • Viking explorers reaching the coast of China

Question 5

Multiple choice

What can be inferred about China's view of international trade during the time of Lin Zexu's letter?

  • China viewed international trade as beneficial but was concerned about the moral and social implications of certain goods.

  • China was fully open to Western influences and the importation of foreign goods.

  • China was primarily interested in exporting goods and had little interest in imports from the West.

  • China had a policy of complete isolation and refused all forms of international trade.

Teach with AI superpowers

Why teachers love Class Companion

Import assignments to get started in no time.

Create your own rubric to customize the AI feedback to your liking.

Overrule the AI feedback if a student disputes.

Other World History Assignments

07.16 The Rwandan Genocide of 1994: An Analysis of Prevention10-26-231.0 The Fall of Rome: Analyzing Contributing Factors11/13/23 - SAQ Reflection11.1 The Great War Begins11.2 A New King of War11/3/23 - Compare Empires and popular religions 1450 to 1750 - Practice LEQ11.3 Winning the War11.4 Making of Peace11.5 Revolution and the Civil War in Russia1.2 & 1.5 SAQ12.2 Nationalism in Africa and the Middle East12.3 India Seeks Self-Rule12.4 Upheavals in China1.2 Developments in Dar al-Islam1.2 Developments in Dar al-Islam from c. 1200 to c. 145013.1 Postwar Social Changes13.2 The Western Democracies Stumble13.3 Fascism in Italy13.4 The Soviet Union Under Stalin1.6 Developments in Europe SAQ1.7: Development of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Societies1.7: Specialized Labor, Social Status, and Gender Roles19th & 20th Century Nation-Building19th Century Imperialism1) B204AP-1 AP WORLD HISTORY2013 LEQ- Unit 5 Industrialization: Japan, Ottomans, China, Russia2.1 SAQ Practice Silk Roads (Make-up only)2.1 Silk Roads2.2.A Reactions to Vedic religion and Brahmanism2.2.B The Mauryan Empire and the spread of Buddhism in India2.2.C The Gupta Empire and the revival of Hinduism in India2.2 Eurasia and the Mongol Empire2.2 Hammurabi's Code2.2 Mongol expansion SAQ Pt. C (p.94 AMSCO)2.3 Athens and Sparta2.3. GREEK AND HELLENISTIC STATES IN THE CLASSICAL MEDITERRANEAN2.4 SAQ- Classical Era- Rome2.4 THE CLASSICAL ROMAN MEDITERRANEAN2.5 World War 1 as a Global War2.7 The End of Classical Empires and the Consequences in Afro-Eurasia3.1 Early Civilizations in South Asia3.1 Land Based Empires SAQ3.3 SAQ Belief Systems3.4 - The Age of Napoleon4.1: Short Answer4.2 Religious Syncretism in Mexico4.2 SAQ European Voyages in Search of a Water Route to Asia4.3 Columbian Exchange SAQ4.3 Effects of Columbian Exchange on Afro-Eurasia