ABSTRACT
The first Opium War was a defining moment in Anglo-Chinese relations, and since the 1840s the histories of its origins have been straightforward narratives. The belief that the British government went to war to defend and expand trade became widespread because it fitted neatly into the earlier twentieth-century historians' understanding of British society. The British cabinet turned to its military to protect opium sales and to force open the China trade. The conventional explanations of British imperial history reflect the standard versions of economic, social and political histories. Proponents of a 'free trade imperialism' theory argue that British politicians encouraged an aggressive overseas policy in order to expand foreign markets for the new industrial economy. A political crisis in the fall of 1839 linked domestic and overseas issues, creating the opportunity for parliamentary Radicals, whose constituents eagerly awaited the 'opening' of China, to sway a cautious aristocratic government.
