The Boxers, a group of militia originating in Shandong that were originally known as the Righteous and Harmonious Fists, do not deserve a bad rap because they were just trying to protect their country and culture from the foreign powers and foreign influence. The foreigners had already left disastrous effects on China after the Opium Wars. China had been weakened from the natural disasters, such as famine, flood and drought, as well as a large population Chinese people’s opium addiction. Because of Imperialism throughout the Opium Wars, foreign powers gained wealth and territory. Yet, after the consequences of the Opium Wars on China, the foreign powers decided to take advantage of China, and tried to convert their religion, culture and lifestyle to their western ideas. For instance: “… [The Boxers] saw in the missionaries the whole cutting edge for an American lifestyle and an American product that they believed was essentially undermining the Chinese village, the Chinese traditions, and Chinese control over their own territory” (Lefeber). It is understandable why this made the Boxers angry, and why they fought back to defend their country and culture. The foreign and Christian missionaries also tried to convert the Chinese to Christianity, but to the Boxers it was a threat to their traditional beliefs which were Buddhism and Confucianism. China was also forced to sign numerous unequal treaties that were humiliating and unfair, adding to the Boxers’ anger and hatred towards the foreigners. For example, the Treaty of Nanjing, the unequal treaty that was signed after the First Opium War, was the first of many unequal treaties China was forced to sign. Although the Boxers did turn to violence, and they were harmful, their actions were justified as they were defending their nation. It is critical to know that the foreigners took advantage of China, colonized China, and forced China into giving them what they wanted. In addition, the foreign nations also turned to violence and killed thousands of innocent Chinese civilians’ lives. In the end, although it is true the Boxers could have used other tactics, they do not deserve a bad reputation because they were merely just trying to defend their nation from the control of the foreign powers.

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