This political cartoon shows countries trying to split China into equal parts, for economical gain.
The Chinese man with his hands raised above is protesting the injustice done to his people.
The American diplomat John Hay helped to create the “Open Door Policy” in China.
All European countries were eager to establish control over heavily populated countries that were full of rich markets. The open door policy was an American solution among competing European countries to secure trade and business in China. It basically said the best way to avoid conflict over China was to keep it an open market for all. British statesmen Alfred E. Hippisely and American William W. Rock hill both believed that their countries economic interests in China would best be protected and promoted by a formal agreement. Britain as shows in the image already had part of China through the Opium Wars of the 19th century. Under their influence, U.S. secretary of state John Hay who became ambassador to Great Britain in 1897, sent the first of the open door notes on September 6, 1899 to the powers that had interest in China.
In the image above shows from left to right shows the British empire, German empire, Russian empire, United states represented by Lady Liberty, and what would become the Japanese empire. America and Japan are shown very interested in getting a slice of the pie while England, Germany, and Russia are already carving it. This shows that America is on the rise in it’s imperial power during the late 19th century. It was at the same time that they fought Spain and gained the pacific territories of the Philippines and Guam.
http://www.civilrights.org/voting-rights/vra/history.html
