Imperialism and the Debate over Foreign Influence in China: Silent Discussion

Kevin Dockery- Fred J. Page High School, Franklin, TNUS History, AP US History, World History or AP World History- all grades

Learning Objectives/ Standards- US.22 Assess the causes of American imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the desire for raw materials and new markets, yellow journalism, and the desire to spread American democratic and moral ideals. (E, G, P) US.23 Evaluate the arguments of interventionists and non-interventionists of the period, including Alfred T. Mahan, Senator Albert Beveridge, Mark Twain, and Theodore Roosevelt. (C, E, P).

W.14 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of the causes of 19th century European imperialism, the role of Social Darwinism, the desire for increased political power, and the search for natural resources and new markets as prelude to the Berlin Conference. (C, E, G, H, P) W.19 Explain the growing influence of the West in China, the Boxer Rebellion, Sun Yat-sen, and the Xinhai Revolution. (G, H)

Time required: One, 55 minutes class period or can be expanded over multiple days as needed

Supplies Required-

Several large sheets of butcher paper (I usually start out with 6 or 7 sheets) Primary Source Prompts of the teacher’s choosing- they can be political cartoons, photos, quotes, any sort of

primary source designed to generate discussion and encourage students to analyze. Try to use a variety of primary sources from a variety of perspectives. For this lesson I have chosen a selection of primary source materials but ultimately it is up to the teacher to tailor the lesson as they see fit

Procedure-

There are several ways teachers can present this lesson and tweak it according to their needs, depending on student level, class size, etc. Once students do it a couple of times they know the expectations and the routine but be sure to model it first. This is a great way to get students up and moving but more importantly it encourages all students to participate, especially the quieter students who do not readily share opinions in front of the class. It starts to take on the feel of an Internet message board where many people share ideas and opinions back and forth- all silently.

Before the lesson, the teacher will provide instruction on the topic of growing imperialism in China to provide content and the Silent Discussion is a way for students to analyze documents and demonstrate understanding.

1. Cut the butcher paper into large segments and in the middle of each sheet paste one primary source. The first couple of times I do this with students I also paste a specific prompt designed to get the “conversation” started. So for example I might say, “Analyze the cartoon below. What is the author trying to say? Do you agree or disagree with his or her perspective?” “What examples of symbolism do you see in the source?”

2. Place the butcher paper sheets in various stations around the classroom and tell the students they are going to conduct a “silent discussion.” For the first round they are to walk around the room and analyze each document and write on the butcher paper their reaction, their analysis, their opinion, etc.

3. During the 2nd round students will walk around and do the same thing but this time they will react to another student’s feedback and so on (all silently). They should draw a line from the original contribution to their contribution, creating a web and a natural progression of discussion that another participant can easily follow. The teacher will also walk around and provide feedback in order to keep the discussion going or to encourage deeper student interaction.

4. After a few rounds I usually hang the posters up and not surprisingly I find students adding comments a few days later. It’s a good review strategy and encourages debate and discussion.

A few ways to tweak the lesson-

Pair students up and give each pair a different color pencil. That way the teacher knows which students wrote what on the paper. If it is a smaller class there is no need to pair up students as long as each student has a unique color. This also provides accountability so the discussion stays civil- (the teacher will know who wrote it)

Give each student a number known only to that student and the teacher. When the student writes something on the paper they are to put that number in parentheses next to their contribution so the teacher knows who wrote it.

After a few times try removing the specific prompts and leave only the primary source. That way the discussion can go in different directions the teacher may not have imagined.

A selection of suggested primary source materials (from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/to1914.htm). Cut out each and paste each one on an individual sheet of butcher paper. If necessary the teacher may provide a prompt question to generate discussion:

Document 1:

“The policy of the Government of the United States is to seek a solution which may bring about permanent safety and peace to China, preserve Chinese territorial and administrative entity, protect all rights guaranteed to friendly powers by treaty and international law, and safeguard for the world the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese Empire.”

- US Secretary of State John Hay (1899)

Document 2:

“It has never been considered the part of wisdom to thrust one's hand into the hornet's nest, and it does seem as if the United States must lose all claim to ordinary prudence and good sense if she enter this arena and become involved in the intrigues and threats of war which make Europe an armed camp….. This drain upon the resources of these countries has become a necessity from their respective positions, largely as graspers for foreign possessions. The United States to-day, happily, has no such necessity, her neighbors being powerless against her, since her possessions are concentrated and her power is one solid mass.”

- Andrew Carnegie (1898)

Document 3:

Propaganda poster (France, 1898) Library of Congress. Public Domain. Ref: Goldstein, no. 334

Document 4:

"The Open Door Policy Cartoon." West Valley College, Saratoga CA. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. <http://instruct.westvalley.edu/kelly/Distance_Learning/History_17B/Lecture08/open_door_notes.htm>.

Document 5:

“All European nations, including your own country’s barbarian merchants, have carried on their trade with Our Celestial Empire at Canton. Such has been the procedure for many years, although Our Celestial Empire possesses all things in prolific abundance and lacks no product within its borders. There was therefore no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians in exchange for our own produce. But as the tea, silk, and porcelain which the Celestial Empire produces are absolute necessities to European nations and to yourselves, we have permitted, as a signal mark of favour, that foreign hongs should be established at Canton, so that your wants might be supplied and your country thus participate in our beneficence. But your Ambassador has now put forward new requests which completely fail to recognize the Throne’s principle to “treat strangers from afar with indulgence,” and to exercise a pacifying control over barbarian tribes, the world over.…”Excerpts from Two Edicts from the Qianlong Emperor on the occasion of Lord Macartney’s mission from Britain To China, September 1793

Document 6

Harper’s Weekly by William A. Rogers, 1900 http://www.harpweek.com/09cartoon/BrowseByDateCartoon.asp?Month=June&Date=9