Trade wasn’t all fun and tea sets. By the 1820s and 1830s, Americans got involved in a darker business: opium. While Britain was the main player, American merchants smuggled the drug into China to balance their trade deficits. It’s a messy, uncomfortable part of history—definitely not the “friendly blog post” vibe you’d hope for.
This period led to the Opium Wars (1839-1860), where China lost and was forced open to foreign trade. The U.S. didn’t fight much, but they did sign the Treaty of Wanghia in 1844, officially securing the same trading rights as Britain. So, 1844 is another big date—the first formal U.S.-China trade treaty.
After that, trade grew slowly but steadily. Americans sold cotton, oil, and manufactured goods. China sold more tea, silk, and eventually, lots of cool knick-knacks. It was still a small slice of the U.S. economy, though—like ordering a side of fries when you already have a burger.
