ABSTRACT
As noted above, a good case can be made for treating 1850 as marking a turning point in the history of what we now call globalization-or constituting at least a watershed of sorts in the discourse surrounding the global circulation of goods, people, information, and ideas. This is because, although the Crystal Palace Exhibition did not open until 1851, it was in 1850 that plans for it solidified and extravagant claims began to be made for it as a fitting symbol of the knitting together of the world that had recently been taking place, while also having the potential to spur further shrinking of the globe. But was 1850 a special year for Shanghai? Or, rather, was it a special year when it comes to the play of international forces in Shanghai, which is the main focus of this book?
