China and the United States Sign the Burlingame-Seward Treaty
1868-07-28
Treaties imposed after the Opium Wars opened Chinese ports, privileged foreign traders, and permitted resident legations in Beijing. [3]
On 28 July 1868, a Chinese diplomatic mission concluded a treaty in Washington that promised freer movement between China and the United States. Its leading envoy, Anson Burlingame, had resigned as American minister in Beijing to help represent China abroad. [4] [5]
The agreement added articles to the Treaty of Tianjin. It recognized travel and migration between the countries, allowed Chinese consuls in American ports, and provided access to education on reciprocal terms. It also affirmed Chinese authority over domestic development. American Secretary of State Hamilton Fish later described respect for China’s sovereignty as the policy’s central principle. [4] [5]
American employers welcomed Chinese labor, while opponents demanded restrictions on immigration. A revised treaty in 1880 allowed limits, and the Chinese Exclusion Act followed in 1882. [4]
Related Diplomats
Sources
- Additional Articles to the Treaty between the United States and the Ta-Tsing Empire, July 28, 1868
Preamble; Articles V–VIII; concluding Washington date and signatures; source edition pp. 992–996
- Chinese special embassy announces its arrival, June 2, 1868
FRUS 1868, Part I, document 289, opening letter; imperial credentials; Prince Kung’s explanatory communication
- The Second Opium War, the United States, and the Treaty of Tianjin, 1857–1859
1858 treaties, foreign legations in Beijing, treaty ports and privileged foreign status
- Burlingame–Seward Treaty, 1868 — Office of the Historian
Delegation, provisions, and later immigration restrictions
- Fish to Low, enclosing instructions to Bancroft — FRUS 1870, document 215
Enclosure of 31 August 1869; treaty date and sovereignty policy
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Cite This Article
China and the United States Sign the Burlingame-Seward Treaty. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record ffbbee096523a958f165. https://chanceries.org/research/history/china-burlingame-8eb389f499/