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Comparing Europe and China in 1750

Driving Question: How were eighteenth-century Europe and China similar and different?

We know that there were huge changes taking place around the world in the mid-eighteenth century. Comparing two regions very far from each other—Europe and China—gives us a variety of useful perspectives. These perspectives allow us to evaluate the changes and continuities that people experienced during this tumultuous period.

Learning Objectives

  1. Compare how states in eighteenth-century Europe and China were organized, traded with others, and made and shared goods.
  2. Practice quick sourcing to evaluate the similarities and differences between eighteenth-century Europe and China.
  3. Use a graphic biography to support, extend, or challenge the overarching narratives of this period.

Vocab Terms:

  • aristocrat
  • colony
  • commerce
  • empire
  • monarch
  • peasant
  • social mobility
STEP 1

Opener: Comparing Europe and China in 1750

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 1.5 Teaching Guide Locked .

If you were picking out gifts to bring to the Emperor of China, you’d probably put a lot of thought into it. Look at the gifts an eighteenth-century British ambassador decided on—what can you hypothesize from this gift list?

STEP 2

A Tale of Two Powers

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 1.5 Teaching Guide Locked .

Keeping ancient empires straight can be tricky! Our Reading Guide offers strategies to help readers track and make sense of articles like these.

In 1750, China and European empires were changing rapidly as they adapted to new ideas, increasing interconnections, and growing populations. Learn how these empires ruled, and then compare them head-to-head in an Eighteenth-Century Battle Royale.

STEP 4

The Lord and the Pirate Queen

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 6 of the Lesson 1.5 Teaching Guide Locked .

There’s a lot for students to tackle in this lesson step! For support, check out this blog post on keeping students engaged with video External link , or visit the OER Project Communit External link y to see how other educators approach teaching with video.

The global economy in 1750 was rapidly changing as European powers rose. But older powers like China remained dominant. The stories of Lord Macartney and Qing Shih—both mariners, but quite different otherwise—help illustrate the picture of the global economy in 1750.

Macartney’s Expedition and the Global Economy External link

In 1793 the global economy was centered in East and South Asia, not in Europe. The British embassy, led by Lord Macartney, wanted to change that.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 5

Closer: Comparing Europe and China in 1750

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 8 of the Lesson 1.5 Teaching Guide Locked .

They may seem short and informal, but closer activities like this are essential for reinforcing student learning. Check out the Openers and Closers Guide for helpful tips!

Extension Materials
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Simulate how global connections have expanded over time with Our Interconnected World, or explore the debates over the study of world history in “The Rise of the West.”
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Expanding Networks of Production and Distribution

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 8 of the Lesson 1.5 Teaching Guide Locked .

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Competing Narratives of History

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 13 of the Lesson 1.5 Teaching Guide Locked .

Many narratives of world history ask the question, Why did Europe become so powerful after 1750? This article explains why many world historians have been asking the wrong questions.