The Second Opium War was a conflict between England and China.
Other Western countries, including the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Second French Empire helped the English.
The War began after an event called the "Arrow incident."
The English used the incident as an excuse to start the war.
The Second Opium War is sometimes called the "Arrow War."

The English had several goals in the war.
Some of these were:
making opium trading legal
expanding (making bigger) the coolie trade
opening all of China to merchants (people who sell goods)
ending taxes on goods such as tea and silk 
In 1856, the Qing Dynasty only let foreign merchants trade in certain cities.
Goods like tea and silk had to be shipped to those trade cities, and were taxed on the way.
The English did not want to pay the extra taxes for shipping things across China.

The Chinese had executed a French missionary named Father August Chapdelaine in Guangxi province.
This made the French very angry.
The French joined the English in fighting the Chinese.

On October 8, 1856, the Chinese arrested 12 crewmembers of a ship named Arrow.
The Chinese authorities believed that the Arrow was smuggling salt.
The Arrow was owned by Chinese people, but it was registered with the British.
Harry Smith Parkes was the British Consul in Canton.
He sent a letter to the Chinese Imperial Commissioner (governor), Ye Mingchen.
Ye replied that the Arrow was a Chinese ship.
He claimed that Parkes and the British had no jurisdiction (no right to interfere.)
Ye offered to return the arrested sailors, but Parkes refused.
Parkes demanded an apology for the insult.
Ye replied there was no need for an apology because there was no insult.
The British decided that the Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue had been broken.
On October 27, 1856, the British Royal Navy attacked Canton.
The Second Opium War was a conflict between England and China. Other Western countries, including the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Second French Empire helped the English. The War began after an event called the "Arrow incident." The English used the incident as an excuse to start the war. The Second Opium War is sometimes called the "Arrow War."
The English had several goals in the war. Some of these were:
making opium trading legal
expanding (making bigger) the coolie trade
opening all of China to merchants (people who sell goods)
ending taxes on goods such as tea and silk 
In 1856, the Qing Dynasty only let foreign merchants trade in certain cities. Goods like tea and silk had to be shipped to those trade cities, and were taxed on the way. The English did not want to pay the extra taxes for shipping things across China.
The Chinese had executed a French missionary named Father August Chapdelaine in Guangxi province. This made the French very angry. The French joined the English in fighting the Chinese.
On October 8, 1856, the Chinese arrested 12 crewmembers of a ship named Arrow. The Chinese authorities believed that the Arrow was smuggling salt. The Arrow was owned by Chinese people, but it was registered with the British. Harry Smith Parkes was the British Consul in Canton. He sent a letter to the Chinese Imperial Commissioner (governor), Ye Mingchen. Ye replied that the Arrow was a Chinese ship. He claimed that Parkes and the British had no jurisdiction (no right to interfere.) Ye offered to return the arrested sailors, but Parkes refused. Parkes demanded an apology for the insult. Ye replied there was no need for an apology because there was no insult. The British decided that the Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue had been broken. On October 27, 1856, the British Royal Navy attacked Canton.
Battle of Canton (1857)