Page 92 - All About History - Issue 34-16

HISTORY ANSWERS

Send your questions to questions@historyanswers.co.uk

American soldiers storm the walls Did the Aztecs have
CIXI of Peking during the Siege of the
Nationality: Chinese International Legations ambitions to move
Born-died: 1835 1908
into what we now
Believed to have
Brief been the most know as the USA?
powerful woman in
Bio Chinese history, Cixi Jif Fairlamb, Berwick upon Tweed
was the Empress
Dowager and regent of Qing The Aztecs first came to the Americas when
China. Ruling over a series of their descendants crossed the Bering Strait
corrupt officials, Cixi pledged land bridge between Russia and Alaska. This
her support to the Boxers in
the ultimately failed bid to rid migration occurred during Earth’s most recent
China of European influences. major ice age, and to escape the cold, the Aztec
people travelled further south to modern-day
Mexico. From then on, they had no real reason
to return north as the Valley of Mexico was an
agriculturally rich area that could support a
large population. Rather than venture further
afield, the Aztecs found that they had to stay put
and deal with neighbouring civilisations, who
challenged their authority. Governance could not
be achieved through direct conquest, and was
instead achieved by exacting tribute. This system
therefore made it harder to expand towards what
is now the United States. There may have been
sporadic Aztec correspondence with tribes to the
north, but nothing long term. Perhaps if Cortes
and his Spanish Rodeleros hadn’t conquered
What was the Boxer Rebellion? Tenochtitlan we may have seen more contact.

Tom Sherman, Yeovil Christians. Legions of support for the rebellion
On the eve of the 20th century, China was were found in the capital as the Europeans packed The Aztecs had no real need to move north
as the Valley of Mexico had plentiful living
ruled by the Qing Dynasty, but the influence of into the British Legation for safety. A 55-day siege space and food supplies for the civilisation
European powers ran deep through the nation. between 400 European soldiers and the Boxers got
This infuriated many of the Chinese people, who under way, and became known as the Siege of the
were already angered by a humiliating defeat at International Legations.
the hands of Japan in the First Sino-Japanese The power was initially with the Boxers, but
War. A wave of Nationalism swept over China the rebellion came to an end as a coalition of
and culminated in what was known as the Boxer international powers including Britain, Germany,
Rebellion. Beginning in 1899, the uprising started USA and Russia intervened. 19,000 soldiers were
in Shantung Province as gangs took to the streets dispatched to Peking, and they successfully
in protest. Known as the Yi Ho Tuan (Righteous crushed the rebellion. Although they had been
Harmony Fists), the rebellion had spread to Peking defeated, the Boxers had installed a sense of
by 1900 and targeted Europeans and Chinese national pride throughout China.

This day in history 7 January

1558 1610 1927 1931
O France takes back Calais O Galilean moons discovered O First transatlantic O First trans-Tasman flight
Calais is England’s last Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei telephone service Australian aviator Guy Menzies
continental possession and a makes his first observations The first commercial radiotelephone becomes the first person to
relic from the campaigns of the of Ganymede, Callisto, Io and service between Britain and the fly solo and non-stop from
Hundred Years’ War. It is lost Europa. They orbit Jupiter USA is set up. On just one circuit, Australia to New Zealand. He
in January after a successful and become the first objects an average of 2,000 calls were completes the feat in 11 hours
French siege during the Italian discovered by humans that made a year, costing about £9 for a and 45 minutes, crash landing
War of 1551 59. revolve around another planet. three-minute chat. but surviving to tell the tale.

92