Treaties of Tianjin

The Treaty of Tien-Tsin, is a collective name for several documents signed at Tianjin (known as Tientsin or Tien-Tsin at that time ) in June 1858. They ended the first phase of the Second Opium War, which had begun in 1856. The Ta-tsing Empire, Russian, and Second French Empires, the United Kingdom, and the United States were the parties involved. These unequal treaties opened more Treaty ports to foreign trade, permitted foreign legations in the capital [[Beijing]Peking], allowed Christian missionary activity, and legalized the import of opium.

They were ratified by the Hsien-Fung Emperor ( now more frequently transcribed as "Xianfeng" ) in the Convention of Peking in 1860, after the end of the war.

The Xianfeng Emperor authorized negotiations for the treaty on May 29, 1858. The treaty with the British was signed less than a month later on June 25.

The Treaties of Tientsin uses several words that have somewhat ambiguous meanings. For example, the words “settlement” and “concession” can often be confused. The term “settlement” refers to a parcel of land leased to a foreign power and is composed of both foreign and national peoples; locally elected foreigners govern them. The term “concession” refers to a long-term lease of land to a foreign power where the foreign nation has complete control of the land; it is governed by consular representation.

Following the pattern set by the great powers of Europe, the United States took on a protectionist stance, built up its navy, and tried to create a mercantile empire. The United States was one of the leading signing “treaty powers” in the Empire, forcing open a total of 23 foreign concessions from the Ta-tsing Imperial government. While it is often noted that the United States did not control any settlements, it shared British land grants and was invited to take land in Shanghai but refused because the land was thought to be disadvantageous.