A Close Examination of Edward Fry and His Report on British Parliamentary Proceedings Pertaining to the Opium Wars and Subsequent Government Policies

Abstract

This paper analyzes Edward Fry’s 1876 report on parliamentary proceedings pertaining to the opium trade. In the report, Edward Fry criticized British involvement in the Opium Wars and subsequent opium trade by arguing that Britain should not force the import of opium into China because it was destroying the health and welfare of Chinese citizens. Instead, Fry suggested that the British Empire should assume responsibility by outlawing the sale of opium and refunding the opium farmers in China and India. Edward Fry was not advocating for the end of British presence in China, but he was promoting British imperialist rhetoric and ideology with the goal of extending western influence in China especially through the reputation of missionaries. Although Fry’s report condemned British involvement in the Opium Wars and their support of the trade, he still supported British imperialism in China. This paper provides a brief biography on Edward Fry and discusses his anti-opium stance, his predominant view on the opium trade during the 1870’s, and how these events reflected deeper colonial trends.