This page was created by Peter Thilly.
Module Instructions
User goals: The two central paths of this module are both created out of primary sources. The first is a legal case from the Qing archives, and the second is a collection of materials taken from a British archive. This format is specifically designed to enable users to draw their own unique connections between the Chinese and British archives. A short collection of essays on these connections concludes the module, but the hope is for users to explore on their own and find new ways to link up the sources and ideas both within this module and between this and the other modules in Bodies and Structures.
Themes to consider, avenues to explore:
The spatial logic of profit. How do people make their money? What are the roles of distance, space, travel, and time in the story of opium profits?The spatiality of law enforcement and corruption. Why are some people arrested and others not? How does space play a role in the way that states and state actors selectively enforce or ignore laws?
The intersection of space and time. How was time important to the actors involved in the opium trade? What was the relationship of space and time to the project of maximizing opium profits?
Environment and physical geography. How does the physical landscape impact the intertwined stories of profit and corruption on the maritime frontier?
What discrete physical spaces are important to this history? How should we evaluate the significance of these spaces? Think about boats, buildings, beaches, bays, and villages.
Finally, users are encouraged to explore the concept of "space as process" with the materials in this module. What different connections and transformations can we document as arising through the actions of the people in this case? How do the people that appear in these materials interact with and transform larger structures around them?
