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Timeline of Historical
Events in China
1786
Opening of first U.S. Consulate in China, in Canton.
1839
Mar.
10—Imperial Chinese Commissioner Lin Tse-hsu arrives at Canton, signaling the
start of the First Opium War.
1841
Jan.
26—Date of secession of Hong Kong to Great Britain.
1842
Signing of Treaty on Nanking by China and Great Britain, marking end of the
First Opium War.
1844
Apr.
16—British Post Office opens in Shanghai
Jul. 3—U.S. and China sign Treaty of Wangshia at Macao, opening five ports of
trade for Americans and the residence of
U.S. Consuls. Treaty to
be renewed after twelve years.
U.S. opens consulate in Amoy.
1856
October—Start of Second Opium War.
1858
Jun. 18—Treaty of Tientsin negotiated
between the U.S. and China, which replaces the Treaty of Wangshia. Allows U.S.
citizens permission to “frequent the port and cities of Canton and Chau Chau,
Amoy, Fuh-chau, Taiwan, Ningpo and Shanghai”
1865
Feb. 17—President Lincoln signs bill authorizing establishment of mail service
to China
1867
Jun. 10—Opening of U.S. Consular Postal Service at Shanghai.
Nov. 19—Arrival date of cover bearing first recorded use of “China &
Japan Steam Service” oval handstamp
1869
Nov. 22—Arrival date of cover bearing latest recorded use of “China &
Japan Steam Service” oval handstamp
1873
Aug. 6—American-Japanese Postal Convention limits American Postal Agencies in
Japan to the exchange of mail between
Yokohama and Hong Kong
1875
July 1—General Postal Union established. 5c rate applies to mails sent to/from
China. China is not admitted as a member,
but the rate is applied
due to other conventions between China and Britain. 10c rate to Hong Kong in
effect until 1877.
1887
Apr.
1—Admission of British Post Office in Hong Kong and its sub-offices and
Agencies in China to the U.P.U.
1895
Jan. 1—Opening of Foochow local post office, independent of the Local Post
Office in Shanghai.
1896
Mar.—Imperial Decree establishes Imperial Chinese Postal Administration, under
the direction of Sir Robert Hart.
Jun. 30—American Consulate at Ningpo closed.
Thereafter, according to Pratt, mail was sent to the house of “a
reliable
American citizen—The
Reverend J.R. Goddard”.
1900
Jun.—International coalition of forces sent to China to quell the Boxer
Rebellion.
Aug. 14—Entry of foreign forces into Beijing
1901
Sep.
7—Boxer Protocol (Treaty of Peking) signed, setting out terms after Boxer
Rebellion
1903
Jun. 1—Rates for covers sent to U.S. from U.S. Postal Agency in Shanghai made
equal to U.S. domestic rates.
1907
Oct. 1—U.S. Postal Agency at Shanghai separated from the Consulate at 2
Chinkiang Road and moved to 16 Whangpoo
Road. Appointment by
Post Office Department of John M.
Darrah as full-time postal agent at Shanghai.
1911
Collapse of Manchu Dynasty
1913
China joins U.P.U.
Dec. 20—Washington D.C. issues order denying its sanction of the Darrah
overprints.
1917
March—John M. Darrah resigns as postal agent at Shanghai. He is succeeded by
Edward H. Everett.
Nov. 2—War Emergency Rate established
1919
Jul. 1—War Emergency Rate repealed
Jul. 1—First Day of issue of the Offices in China currency surcharge
overprints (Scott K1-16)
1920
Oct.—Overprinted stamps withdrawn from sale when Chinese currency drops below
2-for-1 with U.S. dollar
1921
Approx. Oct.—Overprinted stamps put back on sale when Chinese currency returns
to 2-for-1 level.
1922
Dec. 31—Last day of service of U.S. Postal Agency in Shanghai (office closed
at midnight, and declared discontinued as of Jan. 31, 1924). Col. Clyde S. Ford
is last Postal Agent.
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