Which of the following best describes the outcome of the Opium Wars?(1 point) Responses The Opium Wars ended British access to Chinese trade and they could no longer purchase Chinese goods to sell. The Opium Wars ended British access to Chinese trade and they could no longer purchase Chinese goods to sell. The Opium Wars ended opium smuggling because the Chinese were able to gain control over the illegal trade. The Opium Wars ended opium smuggling because the Chinese were able to gain control over the illegal trade. The Opium Wars caused the creation of the Canton System because the Qing rulers realized they needed to limit access to China. The Opium Wars caused the creation of the Canton System because the Qing rulers realized they needed to limit access to China. The Opium Wars not only ended the Canton System, but they forced the Qing Dynasty to enter an unequal trading relationship that was more beneficial to Europeans.
The Opium Wars not only ended the Canton System, but they forced the Qing Dynasty to enter an unequal trading relationship that was more beneficial to Europeans.
The correct answer is "The Opium Wars not only ended the Canton System, but they forced the Qing Dynasty to enter an unequal trading relationship that was more beneficial to Europeans."
To arrive at this answer, let's analyze the options. The first two options are duplicates of each other, so we can exclude them.
The third option states that the Opium Wars ended opium smuggling because the Chinese were able to gain control over the illegal trade. This is incorrect because the Opium Wars actually began due to the Chinese government's efforts to crack down on opium smuggling by British merchants.
The fourth option suggests that the Opium Wars caused the creation of the Canton System because the Qing rulers realized they needed to limit access to China. The Canton System was actually implemented before the Opium Wars, so this option is incorrect.
The last option, "The Opium Wars not only ended the Canton System, but they forced the Qing Dynasty to enter an unequal trading relationship that was more beneficial to Europeans," is the correct answer. The Opium Wars indeed led to the end of the Canton System and forced the Qing Dynasty to enter into treaties, such as the Treaty of Nanjing, which imposed unequal trading terms on China, favoring European powers, particularly Britain.