Creation of the Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty arose

around 1700 B.C.
The Shang ruled China for
about 60 years until
it was overthrown by
the Zhou Dynasty.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259-210 B.C.)

Originally conceived the
idea of the Great Wall
of China to
prevent incursions from
barbarian nomads into
the Chinese Empire.

The Great Wall

The best-known and
best-preserved
section of the
Great Wall was built
in the 14th
through 17th centuries A.D.

Ordered Construction of the Great Wall

When Emperor Qin Shi Huang

ordered construction of the

Great Wall around
221 B.C., the labor force
that built the wall
was made up largely of
soldiers and convicts.

Construction of the Great Wall

The construction of the
Great Wall as it is known today
began around 1474.
The Wall was
mainly constructed
during the mighty
Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

Qin Dynasty Victory

In 221 B.C., the Qin Dynasty
defeated and united a
number of smaller states
under a strong
central government
and established
the Chinese Empire.

Creation of the Qing Dynasty

In 1644, the Manchu
people of Manchuria invaded

China and established

the Qing Dynasty.

Manchus are Overthrown

In 1911, the Manchus
were overthrown
by revolutionaries
and this ended the
dynasties and the Chinese Empire.
The Qing Dynasty
was last to rule China.

The Great Leap Forward (1958-1960)

The Great Leap Forward
was to change China from a
Predominantly agrarian society
to a modern, industrial society
in just five years.

Between 1958-1960,
millions of Chinese citizens
were moved to communes.
However, many farmers
had been sent to do steel
production work that
there wasnt enough hands
to harvest the crops.
Due to famine caused
by this policy,
20 to 48 million people
died in China.

Sun Yat-Sen
Many individuals wanted
to form a republic,
which would
give the people a voice
to their government.
In 1912, Sun Yat-Sen
and others founded
the Nationalist Party.

However, the republic was

undermined by a civil war
throughout China.

Chiang Kai-Shek
In 1925, a general named
Chiang Kai-Shek took over
the Nationalist Party.
Chiangs troops fought against
the warlords of China
and united most
of the country in the 1920s.

Mao Zedongs Victory

During the 1920s and 1930s,
the Nationalists
and the Communists fought
for control of China.
The two sides stopped fighting
each other during WWII and joined sides
to fight the Japanese.
In 1949, the Communists,
under the leadership
of Mao Zedong finally

defeated the Nationalists.

Mao and the Communists
ruled mainland China
(now called Peoples Republic of China)
from Beijing.

Mao Zedongs Death

In 1976, Mao Zedong died.
Deng Xiaoping,
a moderate,
became Chinas most powerful
leader through the 1980s.

Hu Jintao becomes President

In 2003, Hu Jintao
became president
and Wen Jintao became premier.
The two took
responsibility for overseeing
economic reforms
to improve the
standard of living.

Europe Takes Advantage of China

In the 19th century,

Europeans wanted more
access to Chinese markets.
China had a weak army
and could not
fight off the Europeans.
In 1801, Europeans took advantage
of China
and forced it to sign treaties
that granted
special privileges
to the Europeans.

Chinese Communist Party

In 1930, the Chinese Communist Party
became increasingly powerful.
They became one of the most powerful
forces in China.
The Nationalists and
Communists fought
for control of China.

Europeans Visit China

In the 13th century, 1201,
European travelers
came to visit China.
One of these travelers
was Marco Polo,
who wrote a book
about his travels
from Italy to China.

United States, Taiwan, and China

In 1979, the United States
officially recognized
the Peoples Republic of China.
Taiwan relies
on the United States
for security and protection.
The United States provides
weapons to Taiwan
and will give military aid,
such as the Navy
to protect Taiwan.

Lao-tuz
In 600 B.C., Lao-tuz
lived in the 6th century B.C.
The belief of Taoism
is based off his teachings.
Lao-tuz believed in
the importance of preserving
and restoring harmony
in the individual and the universe.
Another belief
was that the individual
should seek harmony
with nature.

Confucianism
Confucius was a
Chinese philosopher
who lived from
551 to 479 B.C.
He believed in respect
for the past and for
ones ancestors.
He thought in an
orderly society,
children should obey
their parents and parents
should obey the government and emperor.
He stressed the importance of education.
His thinking about the
importance of order, education,
and hierarchy in a
well-run society.