March 3: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China, in 1857 starting The Second Opium War as a continuation of The First Opium War. Two shameful opium wars to addict Chinese people.

The Second Opium War

The Qing Dynasty of China rejected the British demands such as legalizing opium trade, unskilled labor trade, import exemptions for British trade, and the opening of all China ports to British merchant ships. The Second Opium War, also called the Arrow War, was a continuation of the First Opium War.

The British drugged Chinese people with Indian opium escalating drug abuse to the higher social classes and even the Chinese army.

The Illustrated London News print of the clipper steamship Ly-ee-moon, built for the opium trade, c. 1859

Officers of the Qing Dynasty boarded a boat called "Arrow" (Arrow) that although belonged to the Chinese, was registered in Hong Kong under British flag, and was suspected of smuggling opium into China. Recall that the First Opium War led to the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842 under which China had to open its ports to British opium trade brought from India.

                      Second Opium War (1856–60), undated wood engraving.

With the Opium Wars that led to the opening of China, Britain became a powerful colonial Empire, which the island of Hong Kong, to establish their bases of commercial operation, with military support. The Second Opium War was more heartbreaking than the first because the French Empire was already stuck with the British against the Qing Dynasty of China.

                  Palikao's bridge, on the evening of the battle, by Émily Bayard 

"All against China" seemed to be the watchword of the alliance was formed with the death of a French missionary and even the US and Russia went to fish in the troubled waters. China was forced to open its ports and deliver their customs handling to the foreign authorities.

                                   Signing of the Treaty of Tianjin