Where can I go to find timelines on the First Opium War?

Question

I've been looking for timelines for a project I'm doing. I need a very detailed ( a regular one is o.k too) timeline dating from 1839-1842.

Answer 1

The Opium Wars were two wars fought in the mid-1800s:
First Opium War (1834–1843)
Second Opium War (1856-1860)

but as you want information from 1839-1849 that would be the first one.

From the Napier Affair through the First Opium War (1834–1843)
Main article: First Opium War
In 1834, to accommodate the revocation of the East India Company's monopoly, the British sent Lord Napier to Macao. He attempted to circumvent the restrictive Canton Trade laws, which forbade direct contact with Chinese officials, and was turned away by the governor of Macao, who promptly closed trade starting on September 2 of that year. The British were not yet ready to force the matter, and agreed to resume trade under the old restrictions, even though Lord Napier implored them to force open the port.

Within the Chinese mandarinate, there was a debate on legalizing opium trade itself, but this was rejected in favor of continued restrictions. In 1838, the death penalty was imposed for native drug traffickers; by this time the British were selling 1,400 tons annually to China. In March of 1839, a new commissioner, Lin Zexu was appointed by the emperor to control the opium trade at the port of Canton. He immediately enforced the imperial demand that there be a permanent halt to drug shipments into China. When the British refused to end the trade, Lin imposed a trade embargo on the British. On March 27, 1839, Charles Elliot, British Superintendent of Trade, demanded that all British subjects turn over opium to him, to be confiscated by Commissioner Lin Zexu, amounting to nearly a year's supply of the drug. After the opium was surrendered, trade was restarted on the condition that no more drugs were smuggled into China. Lin demanded that British merchants had to sign a bond promising not to deal in opium under penalty of death. [1] The British officially opposed signing of the bond but some British merchants that didn't deal in opium were willing to sign. Lin then disposed of the opium, by dissolving it with water, salt and lime and flushing it out into the ocean. He then apologised to the spirit of the Southern Sea in a special prayer.

Both Lin and the Chinese Emperor had not realised the implications involved in this action; The British government and merchants regarded the action as a destruction of their private property, roughly 3 million pounds of opium, as well as a notable revenue source. The British responded by sending warships and soldiers, along with a large British Indian army, which arrived in June of 1840.[2]

British military superiority was evident during the armed conflict. British warships attacked coastal towns at will, and their troops, armed with modern muskets and cannons, were able to easily defeat the Qing forces. The British took Canton and then sailed up the Yangtze and took the tax barges, slashing the revenue of the imperial court in Beijing to just a small fraction.

In 1842, the Qing authorities sued for peace, which concluded with the Treaty of Nanjing negotiated in August of that year and accepted in 1843.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Where can I go to find timelines on the First Opium War?
I've been looking for timelines for a project I'm doing. I need a very detailed ( a regular one is o.k too) timeline dating from 1839-1842.