https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover Please create a visual timeline for important events in your family history project from the mid-19th century to the 1930s. In creating this timeline, attention should be paid to the intersections between macro-level events and the micro-level personal stories. en-us 2022-02-26 22:53:02 UTC 2022-03-03 03:12:41 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f550.png https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074806373 I am a young 27 year old gentry man in Beijing. During this time I have spent in the capitol I have seen the lethal effect Opium has had on our populace. To see the mighty China crumble to such lows fills me with sorrow. I had proposed to the court officials that we should embrace industrialization and Western technology. This unfortunately fell upon def ears. The price China would pay for such ignorance during the Opium Wars would put our empire under the heel of the West. Upon hearing of the British technological terror called the 'Nemesis' an advanced warship that singlehandedly annihilated or entire fleet I was proven right, despite me hoping to be proven wrong.  ]]> 2022-03-03 02:01:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074806373 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074822518 In between the Opium Wars, a man claiming to the the brother of Jesus Christ of the Christian faith launched a ruthless military campaign in the south. During these tumultuous times, our government hired Western mercenaries to aid our army in the suppression of this rebellion. As embarrassing as this was to me, I am glad that we got the help to put down the rebellion and restore order in China. Once again I went to the court advocating for modernization and industrialization. While meeting less resistance than before the First Opium Warm, still it was too much to get any reform across.]]> 2022-03-03 02:10:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074822518 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074835265 I was born in 1850, my father and I both having become gentry in the capitol advocated for modernization and industrialization of China. My father having held this belief since before the First Opium War and myself having been tutored by him went on to lead the Self Strengthening Movement. Finally after so much defeat and resistance, China was now beginning to accept modern technology. In the future may China reclaim it's prominence upon the world stage and no longer be chained by the West and Japan.]]> 2022-03-03 02:16:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074835265 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074854913 My father unfortunately passed away in 1887 from natural causes. Which is good for him, if he were still alive to witness the abject failure of our modernized forces at the hands of the Japanese in Korea during this war, he would have died from a broken heart. Just when things were finally beginning to look up for China, it all comes tumbling down once again. This loss changed everything for the worse as now Japan was being seen as the dominant power in Asia and not us. The war debts we had to pay which was 230 million Taels far more than our entire economy could afford. There is no way the Qing Dynasty can hold onto power for much longer. I would say perhaps the Qing will be overthrown in 30 years or so. ]]> 2022-03-03 02:26:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074854913 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074878556 While there is still an emperor at the turn of the 20th century, he hold little influence compared to the empress Dowager Cixi. She went on to support the Boxer Rebellion which aimed to remove Western influence and power from China. While I privately supported the rebellion, in order to save face I remained neutral in public as to prevent suspicion. The rebellion was easily crushed by the Eight Power Expedition of Russia, Germany, France, Britain, the United States, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and of course Japan. At this point in time I had begun to favor reformation to become a constitutional monarchy like Japan, seeing that the gentry needed to have more power and influence to hold the emperor accountable. In 1905 I had the opportunity to welcome into the world a very amazing son who I hope to protect and nurture. I had a son born in 1870 but he died of tuberculosis at just a year old. Since then I had been weary of having children but now I am sure my new source of happiness and joy will grow up to become a great young man.]]> 2022-03-03 02:39:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074878556 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074889878 When the revolution first began it made no sense to me. It was such a spontaneous moment for me. Living in the capital, I knew soon the city would be under siege. Aside from the status of gentry I had no real attachment to the Manchu Qing Dynasty which had rule for over two centuries. In the end I supported the revolution seeing it as a necessary step to rebuilding China from the ground up. I met with the republican leaders and offered my full support to help establish a new government. I did have to dig a little into the family coffers to buy support from the government but it was well worth the investment. Following the revolution although I was now only a private citizen I still was a minor advisor to President Yuan Shikai. ]]> 2022-03-03 02:45:47 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074889878 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074915819 In the years following the 1911 revolution at first things were somewhat calm and I learned a great deal about politics from my father. In 1916 Yuan Shikai died and this led to a great division in China. Many warlords went on to claim independence and would fight one another for a decade. During this time my father had to do many deals with whatever faction happened to rule the capital at the time. I was eventually sent to study at a university in the United States. My time there was very eye opening, I had come to embrace nationalism as I wanted to reunify China upon my return from university. Upon returning to China, my father had gone into retirement and I joined the Kuomintang. Sun Yat-Sen was an inspiring figure but I did believe that he was a little too optimistic and naïve. Following his death in 1925, a military general Chiang Kai-Shek became leader of the Kuomintang. I liked his style and discipline and believed that maintaining law and order was necessary. Especially with the loathsome Chinese Communist Party members in our ranks who were bent on destroying the republic to establish a regime that would ally itself with the Soviet Union. I would ally with Japan before allying with a Western Power. Overall life was tumultuous but barrable in this time. ]]> 2022-03-03 03:02:09 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074915819 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074932215 In 1931 my father died to lung cancer, by this time I had two sons, the oldest six years old and the youngest three. I also had a daughter who was four years old. My whole extended family attended his funeral, it was a somber event for me as he was the man that mentored me and instilled my passion for the political arena. At the same time, Japan invaded Manchuria and Chiang Kai-Shek pulled all our forces out from the region. While I was initially upset at this decision, in the end I came to understand that our military was vastly unprepared for war with Japan. China at this time was only loosely held together by paying out local warlords who had no allegiance to the government. Now in 1937, Japan has invaded China proper and the old capital in the north was soon under Japanese occupation. I now begin to weigh my decisions. Do I stay loyal to China, flee the country, or do I do the unthinkable and collaborate with Japan if they reach Nanjing the current capital in the south. Only time will tell and whatever decision I make I will have to live with for the rest of my life.]]> 2022-03-03 03:12:41 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/bgrover/wish/2074932215